Table scrap: Budget talks in a fragmented Europe
It will be difficult for the member states that are most invested in the EU’s global role to prevent a reduction in the external portion of its budget
Unlock Europe’s Majority
Will Europe Ever Trust America Again?
As Western leaders gather in London this week, you might be able to detect a huge rupture beneath the surface
The benefits of political fragmentation
The EU's new pluralism has made public debate more political, as parties and groups have become careful to protect their distinct identities
Bringing the radical right in: Lessons learned from Spain
Vox’s success in Spain illuminates some of populism’s successful escalation strategies, as well as the mistakes of mainstream parties
The real battle for Poland’s future
Jaroslaw Kaczynski promises the ‘Polish model of the welfare state’ and social protection like in the West – but if his party stays in power after the October 13 election, the country will drift further away from its hard-won freedoms and connections with Europe
False moves: Migration and development aid
Europe should not confuse development aid’s role in reducing forced migration with that of reducing migration more broadly
The instinctive multilateralist: Portugal and the politics of cooperation
The Portuguese hope that the EU can help them tackle the challenges of globalisation: from climate change to cooperation on the impact of freedom of movement
Von der Leyen’s safe Commission
Billed as a safe pair of hands, Ursula von der Leyen is about to find out that caution can only take her so far
A win for Orbán? Hungary and the new European Commission
The man nominated to encourage democratic norms among the EU’s neighbours has overseen the degradation of Hungary’s own standards. The damage could already be done.
Tricks of the trade
Trade policy is set to become one of the key tools of Ursula von der Leyen’s “union that strives for more”. But securing support from national governments and European citizens will be a challenge.