Opinions

There are speculations that the next European Commission will have three vice-presidents, but none of them is from Central and Eastern Europe, writes Piotr Maciej Kaczyński.

Balázs Jarábik looks into the stakes of Sunday’s (21 July) Ukraine parliamentary elections, in which President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party rides high. Uncertainty prevails as to how he will deliver once he gets to power, Jarábik writes.

Ukraine has promised to reform its gas sector. But do the government, or the national gas company, really mean it, questions Danila Bochkarev.

Ursula von der Leyen may be a relatively unknown name in Europe but we Germans are familiar with her work, most recently as the country’s Defence Minister, writes Martin Schirdewan.

Steps can be taken to improve energy efficiency. This is the surest route to achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, write Kim Fausing and Rachel Kyte.

A radical, one might say populist, solution to solve the Eastern blockade on climate neutrality would be to set up a European Climate Solidarity Fund, writes István Bart.

Boasting one of Europe’s most liberal and innovative economies, Finland's EU presidency has the chance to push for a ‘fast lane’ for tech and AI in Europe, and show Europe a way forward in the age of AI, writes Christian Walther Øyrabø.

We need progress not promises on gender equality. That is why G7 leaders need to establish a mechanism that keep governments to their commitments, argue Friederike Röder, Joe Powell, Aurélie Gal-Régniez and Philippe Lévêque.

The EU's rules on GMOs risk stifling innovation in biotechnology and could lead to China and the US increasing their patent domination, writes Marcel Kuntz.

Following New Democracy’s return to power there are concerns in Brussels, Berlin and Washington about changes in Greece’s policy towards its Balkan neighbours, write Alexandra Voudouri and Ioannis Armakolas.

Some members of the outgoing EU Commission and the agbiotech lobby want the regulations governing genetically modified crops and foods relaxed or scrapped to open markets for gene-edited products. But this goes against the science underpinning the technology and could put the public and environment at risk, writes Dr Michael Antoniou.

Georgia intends to continue on its path to EU membership and wants to use all available opportunities and instruments to achieve this self-proclaimed objective, writes David Zalkaliani.

As President Voldymyr Zelenskiy host on Monday (8 July) his first Ukraine-EU summit, a partnership forged in adversity continues to go from strength to strength, writes Alexey Perevezentsev.

As Japan quits the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (IWC) to resume commercial whaling, Joanna Swabe and Matthew Collis urge the European Commission to put pressure on Europe's trading partner to stop killing cetaceans and undermining international law.

Both Tory leadership contenders are pandering to the idea that a No Deal Brexit will not hurt Britain's future. But when the victor reaches No 10, he will get a shock, writes Dinesh Dhamija.

Despite its continued meddling in European affairs, Russia has been reinstated in the Council of Europe, with full voting powers. The decision will only encourage Moscow to continue its erratic behaviour on the European continent while others, like Turkey, may follow its example, writes Mark Temnycky.