German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s forthcoming three-day diplomatic mission to Beijing carries significant weight as Europe grapples with mounting trade imbalances, concerns over unfair competition, and heightened geopolitical tensions fueled by Washington’s pressures. In this intricate dance of diplomacy, Scholz’s visit becomes a pivotal moment for German policymakers, presenting both challenges and opportunities as they seek to safeguard economic interests while …

            The European Parliament recently approved a complete overhaul of their migration and asylum policies after long debates which raised certain questions all around the globe. The European Union (EU) had changed its approach on the migration and asylum seekers through these changes while trying to uphold human rights. This framework of newly voted policies and laws aims to incorporate Member …

There is an important development in Swedish politics: a new political force called “The People’s List”, or Folklistan in Swedish, is advocating to renegotiate Sweden’s membership terms with the European Union. This emerging political group is made up of individual candidates, including Jan Emanuel, a former MP from the Social Democratic Party, and Sara Skyttedal, a current MEP who was …

The recent election on April 6th resulted in Peter Pellegrini, who is critical of Ukraine, defeating pro-Western diplomat Ivan Korčok to become president. The role of the president in Slovakia is mainly symbolic. However, it also includes the authority to ratify international agreements, command the armed forces, and appoint court judges. Additionally, the president can veto parliamentary legislation. Despite the …

The European Union needs to balance the need for enhanced cybersecurity with a strong and competitive economy. The proposed European Union Cloud Services (EUCS) regulations present a series of unintended consequences that could significantly impact the EU’s international relations. Policymakers must reassess their approach to this regulation to ensure continued good trade relations. First, the sovereignty requirements under the EUCS …

Turkey and Greece’s disputes over maritime boundaries, territorial waters, and the rights to exploit natural gas and oil reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean are more important than ever. The European Union has an energy deficit due to the Russo-Ukrainian war, which requires reliable suppliers. Improving relations between Turkey and Greece is in the European Union’s interest, as the resources in …

Although there is not a specific provision expressly granting the “right to asylum” in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Article 1 of the European Convention of Human Rights is unequivocal in stating that everyone is protected by its provisions regardless of their nationality and that no discrimination whatsoever is allowed. Moreover, all “high contracting parties” are under an obligation to …

Largely thanks to young people in Poland, Donald Tusk and his coalition defeated the far-right Law and Justice (PiS) party that had governed Poland for eight years. During those eight years, Poland had joined other countries, especially Hungary, in the process of undermining the democratic foundations of their governing systems. This phenomenon gave rise to what is referred to as …

For years now Hungary has proven itself an outliner in the Union by challenging its founding values and using its veto power to stop decisions requiring unanimity as leverage. Orban’s tactics have so far proven effective thanks to the Union’s own lack of enforcement mechanisms and his own ability to create alliances within the Union and exploit every leverage at …

            Amidst wars and other armed conflicts, the European region has been in conflictuous past few months regarding political stability and development within the European Union. A country that has been inserted in the news spotlight in recent times is Portugal, with the never-ending scandals and political decisions that are culminating in turning the already tumultuous country even further down the …