Brexit Tectonics
The United Kingdom’s departure from the EU is the greatest political success for opponents of European integration. Paradoxically, however, Brexit is forcing EU-skeptical parties …
Close-Up: Matteo Salvini
As deputy prime minister and interior minister, the leader of the right-wing Lega party has quickly become the dominant force in Italian politics. His …
Macron’s Second Coup
First Paris, then Brussels: For the European Parliament elections, Emmanuel Macron wants to apply his winning formula to the EU level. But the hurdles …
Fortress Europeans
Europe‘s right-wing populists are shifting away from a total rejection of EU institutions. Instead, they are attempting to harness them to their own ideology, …
Flying High on Pessimism
The far-right AfD has gained ever more popularity since its breakthrough in 2017. The party’s rise has been aided by German media and politics, …
Merkelʼs Missed Moment
In her reelection campaign in 2017, Angela Merkel made a strategic error by not putting EU reform on her agenda. She is now paying …
White House Déjà Vu
The reelection of Donald Trump is not only possible, it is likely. So far at least, there’s no convincing answer to the question: Who …
Words Don’t Come Easy: “Disembarkation Platform”
When it comes to refugee and migration policy, the European Union has a knack for inventing pseudo-English terms. Itʼs highly unlikely that doublespeak will …
Right between East and West
Under Sebastian Kurz’ leadership, Austria’s right-wing government has emerged as a center of conservative power in Europe. But the borders between right and extreme …
Where Heiko Maas Is Wrong
Will the United States remain nationalist and isolationist even after Donald Trump? German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas seems to think so. But his America …
Red Herring & Black Swan: A Bomb for Europe?
The question of whether Germany needs to develop its own nuclear weapon is leading nowhere. It makes more sense to think about realistic scenarios …
A Military Workshop
Thereʼve been many misconceptions around the European Intervention Initaitve (E2I), launched in 2017. Amid a promising start, sticking points are mostly tests for Franco-German …
Brexit Britain Heads for the Cliff Edge
The October EU summit was supposed to be the last chance for a Brexit deal—until it wasn’t.
The Reparations Debate, Reloaded
Greek leaders are resurfacing demands that Germany pay reparations for the Nazi occupation.
Bavaria Goes Green
The Greens’ success in Bavaria is a strong statement against the anti-migrant campaigns of the established conservatives and the far-right.