A Rocky Road to Reform: the promises of the Conference on the Future of Europe
Abstract As per Joint Declaration, the Conference on the Future of Europe will end with a report to the Joint Presidency in spring 2022. All institutions and member states have pledged to follow up with the report swiftly and effectively. Despite agreeing on the Declaration and the Conference Rules of Procedure, however, the institutions and […]
Accession from the Inside: CoFoE and the strong pleas of self-determination movements
Abstract This article considers the role of secessionist parties at the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE). The formation of the Self-Determination Caucus by nine MEPs raises several questions for the Conference’s proposals to bridge the gap between institutions and citizens. The article offers a brief discussion of the literature on the principle of […]
Another Missed Opportunity in the Western Balkans?
At the onset of the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE), the future of the European Union’s expansion in the Western Balkans (WB) seems to have reached a new stalemate. Yet, the CoFoE could offer an opportunity to rekindle the EU’s agenda in the WB. Much, however, may depend on the outcome of the […]
Europe versus an Emerging China: Rivalry, Partnership, or Something Else?
Abstract In the post-Covid world, patterns seem to be emerging that put to question the viability of the world order as we have know it until now. Western democracies seem to have handled the situation worse than China, with its authoritarian model, and the PRC is capitalising on it, building the image of a new […]
Europe and China: Why and How to Prevent the New Cold War
Multilateralism and Avoiding the Prisoner’s Dilemma: Europe’s Role in Upholding Multilateralism in Global Governance
Abstract The relationship between the European Union (EU) and China is one of the most important issues in current international relations, especially in the light of a trade dispute between the United States and China that, arguably, goes much further than trade. It is a struggle between values, between perspectives of what the world should […]
A Populist Post-COVID Wave?
Abstract Even though populist movements typically thrive in political, economic, and/or social crises, the COVID-19 pandemic proved to be difficult for populists across Europe to politicize and mediate. The extent to which populists have been able to capitalize on the pandemic has varied from country to country. This article will examine how European populist movements […]
EU Strategic Autonomy: Industry Implications in the Changing World Trade Order
Abstract Concurrent factors are rapidly reshaping our vision of the international economy: the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on industries and value chains; the growth and growing assertiveness of China; and the United States’ redefinition of its role in the various regions of the world. How do these major factors affect the present and future […]
5G Geopolitics and European Strategic Autonomy: Security, Standardisation, and the (False?) Promise of Open RAN
Abstract: ‘How long does it take to download a two-hour-long movie in high-definition?’ This question might not make sense once 5G networks are fully operational because the movie will probably download before the sentence is finished. A file that took more than 20 hours to transfer at the beginning of the century will need less […]
Algorithms vs culture?
Abstract During the months-long worldwide lockdowns in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, not only our economies but also our public sphere decisively and irreversibly shifted into a digital realm. The omnipresence of algorithms in our increasingly digitalised public sphere has had a significant impact on the public discourse and agenda. At the same time, we […]
Origin Labelling, Food Nationalism, and the EU: Better Information to Consumers or Single Market Fragmentation?
