Ideas on Europe

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The Letta and Draghi Reports in Europe’s Geopolitical Moment

JCMS |

by Michele Chang (Director of the Transatlantic Affairs Programme & Professor at the European Political and Governance Studies Department, College of Europe) When Enrico Letta and Mario Draghi submitted their reports in 2024 (Much more than a market and A competitiveness strategy for Europe, respectively), they warned of the dangers of complacency and the need […]

Constitutional Identity: From Illusion to Inclusion?

Dr Maaike Geuens |

This article is based on research presented at the UACES Graduate Forum Research Conference 2025 (29-30 May, Panteion University, Athens, Greece).  By dr. Maaike Geuens (Assistant Professor Public Management Open Universiteit) and ms. Duygu Sahin (Tilburg University). Constitutional identity is an increasingly contested notion within the European Union’s legal and political landscape. Codified in Article 4(2) of […]

Fieldwork to research defence procurement in Germany

Elyssa Shea |

For any nation, the procurement of weapon systems has significant economic, political, and security implications and thus involves many trade-offs. Unsurprisingly, the different figures from government, the military, and industry that are involved in defence procurement decisions can have conflicting interests. Yet, the drivers of specific weapon system decisions often remain shrouded, despite the implications […]

Ukrainians in an (Un)Welcoming Czechia: Facts, Feelings and Future

Markéta Forejtová |

Czechia, as most countries of Central Europe, is not famous for welcoming immigrants with open arms. Czechs consider foreigners as people taking their jobs, their safety and their culture. However, since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, around 370 000 Ukrainians have come to Czechia to, at least temporarily, seek a new home here. This […]

UniCredit’s Commerzbank Ambitions: Regulatory Green Lights, Political Red Flags

Gaia Chiarini |

In a significant and politically charged development within the European banking sector, UniCredit, Italy’s second-largest financial institution, undertook a calculated and strategic acquisition of shares in Commerzbank, Germany’s second-largest publicly listed bank. The move, unfolding over the course of late 2024, marked a bold assertion of UniCredit’s long-standing vision for cross-border banking consolidation within the […]

Not a Demos, Not Yet a People: Towards a Grounded European Identity

Hendrik Schäfer |

The political attachment many Europeans feel towards the EU has become increasingly fragile. In the 2024 European elections, just half of eligible voters cast their ballots, and the rise of Eurosceptic parties signals a growing erosion of trust. At the same time EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen sees in contrast to Putin and […]

Navigating Change: The EU's Emerging Role in Global Aviation Governance

Dominika Furtak |

Passengers boarding planes in Europe today enjoy the benefits of deregulated and integrated air transport network – thanks to the creation of the EU single market in air services in the 1990s. But the EU aviation policy did not stop at regional borders. Having been repeatedly dismissed in the past, the European Commission now conducts […]

Rethinking Europe’s Economic Model: A New Vision for Competitiveness and Political Identity

JCMS |

by Manuela Moschella (Professor of Political Science, University of Bologna) and Lucia Quaglia (Professor of Political Science, University of Bologna) The European Union (EU) stands at a critical juncture. Global competition, technological disruption, and geopolitical fragmentation challenge the economic framework that has defined the EU for over three decades. Two landmark reports — Much More […]

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