Opinions
The Brief – At NATO, names matter (a little)
Est. 5minThe Western military alliance has a lot on its plate: Its members have to figure out how to secure defence aid to Ukraine, deal with the impact of China’s relations with Russia, when to use their mutual defence assistance clause Article 5… and how to name new things.
The Brief – Message from the three Italian tenors
Est. 6minThe United States is such an important country: Whatever they decide affects us so much that it's almost like the whole world should be allowed to vote in US elections. With these provocative words, I started an opinion piece written exactly twenty years ago.
The Brief – Things can only get better, or why the UK is turning left
Est. 6minAs the United Kingdom and France go to the polls in the next few days, we look at why the British public is turning left, towards Labour, at a time when Europe is turning towards far-right parties.
Why scrapping the 2035 cars target is misguided
Est. 5minThe European People’s Party would be wrong to weaken the rule that is driving the EU car sector’s climate and industrial transitions
The Brief – Cordon sanitaire, uncordoned
Est. 7minThe cordon sanitaire was once a non-negotiable electoral strategy that parties across the French political aisles implemented to block the far right from getting to power, but it is now shattered almost to the point of irrelevance.
Biodiversity problems, power sector solutions
Est. 6minThe European power sector's commitment to biodiversity is not just a moral obligation, but a pragmatic strategy for ensuring sustainable project development, lowering consenting risks and gaining more social acceptance.
The Brief – No light at the end of the tunnel?
Est. 5minFrench far right lurches toward power. Viktor Orbán’s Hungary to lead the EU for the next six months. AfD states aim to govern Germany. Pro-Russian patriarch elected in Bulgaria. In the US, Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance augurs his election route in November.
Decarbonising district heating will require power-to-heat technology
Est. 10minPower-to-heat shows how renewable energy can also be used for heating. This technology may be one of the most preferred and useful options for decarbonising district heating systems in Poland.
Why backing Germany’s LNG investment is a roadblock – not a bridge to the future
Est. 5minThe European Commission's recent decision to greenlight €40 million in State aid for a new Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal in Brunsbüttel, Germany is a short-sighted gamble riddled with environmental and legal concerns. Stéphanie Nieuwbourg is a legal expert at …
The Brief – When politicians don’t want the top jobs
Est. 5minIn Brussels, politicians haggled over top jobs this week. In Dublin, nobody will take them.
The Brief – Hardline EU trio to confront Putin
Est. 6minWe can only second-guess what Vladimir Putin’s goals were when he started the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. We can see that in the meantime, NATO has become bigger and stronger, and today, the EU may agree a lineup of new leaders considered “hawks” towards the Kremlin.
The Brief – Emmanuel Macron, the lonely man
Est. 5minSome empires take centuries to die. Others fall in a matter of days, like overripe fruit. President Emmanuel Macron is neither a tsar nor a sultan, but he has ruled France unchallenged since 2017 and his time is now running out.
Enabling Green and Digital Growth: Making Sustainability Reporting Work for SMEs
Est. 6minFor Europe and the world to meet their emission reduction targets, SMEs must be placed at the forefront and be supported to better measure their sustainability impacts.
The New European Bauhaus – a paradigm shift
Est. 5minA recent critique of has ignited a discussion about whether the New European Bauhaus (NEB) is living up to its promises. With the NEB in its early stages, is it fair to write off this ambitious initiative?
The Brief – Ursula von der Leyen’s green 420
Est. 6minOn the hunt for lawmakers to bolster her chances at a second term at the helm of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen may end up taking the Greens to the ball – because, in their own words, they offer stability. It is a story of Germans working with Germans.
The Brief – Single-handed manmade disasters
Est. 7minClimate change is a manmade disaster caused by mankind as a whole. But history remembers disasters of dramatic proportions caused by a single man. We are currently paying the price of at least two such disasters.
The perils of relying on Russian transit for Azeri gas
Est. 5minA proposal to transit Azeri gas through Russia and subsequently to the EU raises significant strategic and security concerns, writes Sergiy Makogon.
Used cooking oil: there is a cobra in the room
Est. 4minThe European green oil industry is concerned about massive and potentially fraudulent imports of biofuels from Asia. This fraud consists of importing so-called “used cooking oil biofuels” which are in fact biofuels made from virgin palm oil.
Journalists facing online threats: a growing risk to democracy
Est. 6minEnsuring journalists' safety is crucial for democracy, as threats lead to self-censorship and under-reporting. Despite Europe being relatively safe, online threats are rising, particularly against women and minorities. New EU legislation aims to enhance protection and cooperation with online platforms.
The Brief – Who cares about competitiveness?
Est. 7minSometime next month, former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi—“the guy who saved the euro”—will publish his much-anticipated report on the competitiveness of the European economy.
REFIT and Reseal: Why the EU Must Uphold the Ban on Trade in Seal Products
Est. 6minIt is fitting that the European Commission periodically reviews legislation to ensure that it is still delivering on its objectives in a cost-effective way. Sometimes, however, a ‘REFIT’ risks poking a hornets’ nest.
E-fuels: as much import as necessary, as sustainably as possible
Est. 5minThis year's International E-Fuels Dialogue organised by the German Federal Ministry of Transport focused on the use of e-fuels in aviation. For e-fuels to be part of a globally just energy transition, the implementation of sustainability criteria should also be a priority.
With national health systems under unprecedented stress, a European Health Union is badly needed
Est. 5minAhead of Friday's (21 June) Health Council, Frank Vandenbroucke writes that Europe needs a ‘true’ European Health Union to guarantee the survival of national health systems.
The Brief – Did Ursula stab Macron in the back?
Est. 6minIt looks like she did. The European Commission announced it intends to open the first excessive deficit procedure against France—coming at the worst time ever—11 days before the first round of the snap legislative elections that may become a nightmare for the French president.