About: The Brief
The Brief – Demoralising is ugly, not delivering is worse
Why do some European leaders keep saying that it may take decades before Ukraine can join the EU? Out of a pure sense of self-preservation.
The Brief – Russia’s hub in the heart of Europe
The European Union has gone to great lengths to sanction Russia over its military aggression against Ukraine and the war crimes committed there. Some of the sanctions are very painful for EU countries, as many of them depend on Russian...
The Brief – Borrell gets his hearing for the defence
When the EU’s chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, concluded the bloc’s first defence policy review, more than 18 months ago, he warned that “European defence suffers from fragmentation, duplication and insufficient operational engagement.”
The Brief – The fall of Azov
The surrender of the Azov battalion in Mariupol is a milestone in Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. In terms of what will follow, there are two options.
The Brief – ‘Neutral’ Europe dwindles
Almost 80 years after the end of World War Two, Europe's club of 'neutral' or non-aligned countries appears doomed to shrink due to Russia's war in Ukraine.
The Brief – The new German triumvirate
The traditional “big tent parties” in Germany are the conservative CDU/CSU and the old lady SPD. For the longest time, the German political system was bipolar, with the liberal FDP often playing kingmaker with less than 10% of the votes.
The Brief – Is Putin a CIA asset?
According to Russian propaganda, Gorbachev and Yeltsin were CIA agents tasked with destroying the USSR. This narrative, although debunked by the EU’s foreign affairs service, still holds in parts of Russian society; the last President of the USSR and the first...
The Brief – Treaty change
The public remarks made by a group of EU leaders, including Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz, hinting at "the need to reform" the bloc have suddenly given life to the idea of a new EU treaty that would have been very unlikely just a few months ago.
The Brief – The cost of not solving the Bulgarian veto
Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine is reshaping how the EU conducts its enlargement policy. That will put additional pressure on Bulgaria to lift its veto on neighbouring North Macedonia's EU accession negotiations.
The Brief – Don’t count on Mercron II
For all the talk about the so-called Franco-German axis, Russia's war on Ukraine has hardly seen German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron emerge as a 'power couple'. At best, they are an uneven tandem.
The Brief – Why Eurovision matters
This year it will be remarkably tough to keep politics separate from the running of the world’s most-followed singing contest – and that is also why EURACTIV is stepping in with dedicated coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC).
The Brief – Why Putin cannot win
Vladimir Putin’s 9 May speech was highly anticipated. The general expectation was that he would double down on his war effort in Ukraine and sternly warn the West against further interference in what Russia considers its backyard.
The Brief – An unfinished revolution
Few would deny that the European Parliament elections are, essentially, a set of 27 national elections. After more than forty years of direct Parliament elections, much as EU federalists might like the reality to be otherwise, there is no European political space.
The Brief – What will Putin celebrate on 9 May?
For those who don’t know Russia well, we should start by saying that in that country, 9 May is elevated to a sort of religious extravaganza, like Easter and Christmas wrapped into one.
The Brief – Life after Putin
The war in Ukraine will end at some point, but the way Europe diplomatically deals with Russia will never be the same again.
The Brief – A turtle’s turnaround
Observing Germany’s policies towards Ukraine and Russia is like trying to watch grass grow. Staring at it with the naked eye, no movement is to be seen, but if you look away and come back later, a lot has happened - it just took place painstakingly slowly.
The Brief – Is the EU at war with Putin?
Helping Ukraine against the aggressor is a duty for all Europeans but there is a fine line between assisting Kyiv and waging war by proxy against Vladimir Putin, who has a nuclear button.
The Brief – Time to unite the French left
Concerns about the fragmentation of the French left may look worrying, but it's nothing new. The signs have been there for quite some time.
The Brief – The worst job in the world
We all thought the job of the UN secretary-general was the ultimate achievement for a senior diplomat with a flawless reputation and outstanding international career. But the body language of Antonio Guterres during his meeting with Vladimir Putin suggests otherwise - that he, in fact, may have the worst job in the world.
The Brief – En Marche, in reverse
Between a high rate of abstention and a vote "against the far-right", is Emmanuel Macron really "the worst elected president of the Fifth Republic", as his far-left opponent Jean-Luc Mélenchon quipped on election night?
The Brief – Why Berlin’s leadership is in decline
The war in Ukraine is painfully exposing the decline of German leadership in Europe. Once referred to as the European ‘hegemon’ during the euro crisis, Berlin is now showing hesitance and indecisiveness instead of leading Europe through what could be described as the crisis of the century.
The Brief – Getting ready for a long war
On 24 February, Russia invaded Ukraine. The next day, EU leaders gathered for an extraordinary summit. At that time, they thought the war would only last a few days... This seems like ancient history now.
The Brief – (Don’t) look up
On 21 April 2002, I was 18 years old and my friends and I were about to vote for the very first time. And not just in any election, we were going to vote in the presidential election.