In the Brussels bubble, the political influence of member states is measured by the number of high-ranking officials, chiefs of staff or advisory positions within EU institutions. On the French side, Ambassador Philippe Léglise-Costa, a veteran at the helm, is in control. Since November 2017, he has been head of the Permanent Representation of France […]
The European elections are just around the corner. Rarely has the question of how well the various political groups will perform and what majorities will be possible in the European Parliament after the elections been discussed as much as this year. There are good reasons, as there is indeed a lot at stake. This last […]
For decades, the EU has been criticized for its inactivity in foreign and security policy, its sluggish responsiveness, and its cacophony in international crisis management. Authoritarian states often benefit from the disunity among the 27 member states. Important foreign policy decisions can be blocked by just one member state. As a result, the EU-27 is […]
The EU Parliament and the member states are currently discussing the final version of the PSD3 Payment Services Directive. The new rules for online commerce are intended to ensure greater harmonization of regulations in the EU, create a level playing field for payment service providers and improve fraud protection.The design of PSD3 offers an opportunity […]
After the European elections, the democratic and pro-European forces in the European Parliament have been weakened. This is a wake-up call to make cooperation much more binding. This is the only way to ensure reliable majorities for an effective EU. Ursula von der Leyen will probably not only need the existing alliance of conservatives, social […]
“Give me a little more time, I’m having trouble understanding what’s going on.” This is the most common answer you get in France at the moment when you ask for an analysis of the conservative situation in the country. From outside France, the situation seems even more nebulous. So here is an attempt to put […]
ChatGPT and other models of generative artificial intelligence (AI) have triggered a wave of fascination in the past year. The algorithms can effortlessly create seemingly plausible content such as images and texts. However, making them available to the public has also brought numerous skeptics onto the scene. What is already a major productivity gain in […]
It is “necessary” for Emmanuel Macron to assume his responsibilities, appoint a prime minister and “for us to get out of the crisis he triggered with the dissolution of parliament”, said Laurent Wauquiez, leader of the conservative party Les Républicains, after his meeting with the head of state on Wednesday. “There’s no reason to procrastinate […]
Since Donald Trump returned to power in the US, center-left parties around the world have achieved some spectacular successes: For example, the Liberals’ spectacular comeback in the Canadian parliamentary election in April and the almost equally surprising electoral success of the Australian Labor Party at the beginning of May. Put off by Trump’s administration, voters […]
On March 13, the heads of government of Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed on a draft peace agreement. This could herald the end of a decades-long conflict, which ultimately led to the expulsion of 120,000 ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan. After months of stalling by Baku, Armenia has broken the blockade by making concessions, but […]