About: The Brief
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.
The Brief – A brief guide to nuclear anxiety
Those who read this text have survived COVID and COVID anxiety. The pandemic is no longer such a threat but there is a new malady on the horizon: nuclear anxiety.
The Brief – Three-ways are hard
As most of Europe piles on the pressure and lambasts the German government in a desperate bid to get it moving on an energy embargo against Russia and arms deliveries to Ukraine, the three-party government in Berlin appears to be struggling to keep up.
The Brief – Germany’s troublesome Social Democrat appeasement
Easter break in Germany has been less peaceful than the German government might have hoped.
The Brief – Reinventing EU enlargement
The war in Ukraine is urging us to rethink many EU policies. One of them is EU enlargement.
The Brief – Don’t bank on an ECB rescue from stagflation
Central banks in Europe always used to be dull institutions run by dull men in double-breasted suits, but over the last 15 years, they have acquired a reputation for interventionism.
The Brief – The death of the French right? Not so fast
Between the historically low score for Les Républicains in the first round of Sunday's presidential election and the loss of ideological bearings, the death certificate of the great party of the French right seems to have been signed.
The Brief – Putin’s world is not so small
After launching a dirty war against Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has found himself isolated in the West, but he can still count on international support, including from some of the world's most populous countries.
The Brief – NATO’s (other) gap to fill
The war in Ukraine has brought back awareness that NATO's Achilles heel in Europe is Poland's Suwałki corridor, which cuts across the only link between Russia's Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad and Belarus. However, from a security point of view, there is another strategic gap to fill.