Uncategorized

‘Decenter:  to cause to lose or shift from an established center or focus. Especially: to disconnect from practical or theoretical assumptions of origin, priority, or essence’ (Thesaurus dictionary, 2024).   The call for decentring European studies has grown stronger and louder by the year. The need for a re-thinking of Eurocentrism in EU external action has […]

The EU-Ukraine relations started with Ukraine’s independence in 1991, but they were not unproblematic. Ukrainian leaders wanted to get benefits both from the EU and Russia, at the same time not coming too close to either. Ukrainian citizens were divided on whether the country should integrate with East, West or stay on its own. The […]

Unity is strength. These were the words of the German Chancellor Scholz as he met with President Macron and Prime Minister Tusk in Berlin. Similarly, in his Sorbonne speech, President Macron appealed to more unity in face of constant geopolitical changes, calling for a strong bloc who is capable of leaving its footprint in the […]

In recent years, Europe has witnessed a notable surge in the popularity and influence of populist radical right parties. This trend has been particularly evident in the 2024 elections for the European Parliament, where this party-family has secured significant victories, reflecting a broader shift in the political landscape across the continent. One of the most […]

Let’s cut to the chase: What ARE the strongest arguments for the UK to rejoin the EU? I asked Chat GPT 4.0 for the answer, which it gave in precisely 2 seconds. Clearly, I’m now redundant. But the case to rejoin the EU certainly is not. If only we could rejoin the EU as fast […]

This blog post summarises the contribution I submitted for the UACES 2024 Graduate Forum held this June in Amsterdam. I want to thank UACES for having organised and provided funds for attending this event!   Human rights constitute the core values of the European Union, enforceable both internally and externally. Through the Amsterdam Treaty-consolidated acquis […]

This article is based on research presented at the UACES Graduate Forum Conference 2024 and is anticipated to be published in a journal article currently undergoing evaluation. The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine has reignited interest in EU enlargement, presenting new opportunities for (pre-)accession candidates. While much attention is often given to the Council and […]

In June 2024, I had the opportunity to attend the UACES Graduate Forum held at the Vreie Universiteit Amsterdam, in part thanks to UACES’ funding support for early career researchers attending such activities. PhD students often face limited funding, which significantly impacts their ability to attend academic workshops, seminars, and conferences—events that are crucial for […]

Many analysts attribute the rise of the far right across Europe to what has been coined a “green back-lash” also known as “green-lash”, whereby citizens blame climate & environmental policies for increasing the cost of living. The EU’s policies did not escape this new political reality. This resentment has been tapped into by parties stressing […]

Many people, including politicians and journalists, don’t understand the difference between ‘free trade’ and ‘frictionless trade’. This has caused a huge misunderstanding across the country, leading to the mess we are now in. In summary, ‘free trade’ means that goods (sometimes only some goods) can be exported and imported between countries without tariffs – hence […]