Strengthening Europe’s democratic identity and security in a more autocratic world
Much attention is rightly being paid to the well-documented tendencies in most of the world’s regions for autocracy to have been gaining some ground in the last two decades at the expense of democracy. Europe has not been immune from the impact of the several megatrends and profound systemic shocks that seem to have been […]
The effect of Covid on EU democracies
To better understand how the pandemic has so far affected Europe’s democracies, the European Policy Institutes Network (EPIN) has analysed 19 succinct national perspectives. We asked our EPIN partners: what are the effects of different crisis rules or procedures on the democratic character of national governance? This exercise has shown that while in some member […]
Extraterritorial sanctions on trade and investments and European responses
Recent US measures directed against Iran, Cuba and Russia (North Stream 2) have indirectly become a critical challenge for the European Union as well. As they purport to deter economic actors under EU jurisdiction from engaging with target countries, they have an important extraterritorial dimension that affects EU business and individuals, and ultimately the sovereignty […]
The Biden presidency is a last call for Europe
The presidency of Joe Biden heralds an opportunity for Europe, and more particularly the EU, to revive its relationship with the US. But it may also be its last chance. The EU will have to demonstrate tangible progress in the areas of defence, trade and global policy stances generally to ensure the good will of […]
After Beirut’s blast: a coordinated EU response for Lebanon?
Lebanon has been facing multiple crises over the past year. An unprecedented financial and economic meltdown in which the Lebanese pound lost 80% of its value; political dysfunction that triggered a popular revolution; and socio-economic repercussions of the covid-19 pandemic. When an explosion on August 4 destroyed the country’s main port and left many dead, […]