33km That Could Strangle Europe

Implications of the Closure of the Strait of Hormuz on Europe

By Anneke Pelzer

What is 33km wide, 167km long, and has kept the global economy in a chokehold in the past two months?

The Strait of Hormuz dominated headlines around the globe since the US and Israel launched military strikes against Iran on February 28^th. As a response, the Mullah regime closed the waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. 

By: Lavinia Tacke 

Reading time: 5 minutes 

Usually, elections in a country with a population of around 9.5 million do not attract much international attention. However, this was totally different regarding the Hungarian elections on April 12th, which, for many, might have felt like the Super Bowl of European politics. Pictures from the parties in Hungary’s capital, Budapest, on the election night illustrate that this was not a “normal” election. 

By: Nikola Kirkov

Reading time: 12 minutes

While Peter Magyar’s decisive victory in Hungary earlier this month sparked relief and a sense of triumphalism across the European Union, that optimism has now been called into question following Radev’s crushing win in Bulgaria. The political situation unfolding in Sofia might prove to be a litmus test for the Union’s future alignment, as Bulgaria stands on the brink of transforming itself from a reliable partner into a new and potentially dangerous Achilles’ heel of the EU.

By Tricia Pelser, reading time: 6 minutes

Reading time: 4 minutes 

On April 24th, it is the 110th anniversary of the Easter Rising, and Ireland returns to the forefront of European history once again. The events of 1916 are widely commemorated in Ireland as a moment of national awakening and an assertion of political will against the rule of the United Kingdom. However, beyond commemoration, it raises a much more difficult question regarding not how Europe remembers injustice, but rather how it takes responsibility for it. 

By: Lavinia Tacke 

Reading time: 4 minutes 

The European Schools are an intergovernmental education system that provides their students, who are mostly children of EU staff members, with “multilingual, multicultural, and inclusive education” grounded in European values. This is how the official website describes the vision of the 13 European schools, which are located in six EU countries. 

By: Gabriel Panza, reading time: 3 minutes

The Digital Field

In the past few decades, digital platforms have emerged, giving businesses access to platform-based business models. These platforms have transformed the digital economy by bringing users from all over the world together to interact and enabling them to offer services at lower transaction costs. This has led to major firms dominating, with Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft often referred to as “the Big 5” for their time. Since then, other major firms have expanded their influence over their industries.

One would think that the evolution of digital platforms would introduce new business models; however, this is not the case. In fact, digital platforms have optimized traditional forms by expanding business models to facilitate global interactions more easily. However, the EU has been cautious not to allow these major companies, such as the Big 5, to use these business models to dominate their industries. Naturally, this led to the adoption of the Digital Market Act.

By Tricia Pelser, reading time: 5 minutes

In 2018, Jackie Fox lost her daughter, Nicole, at the age of 21 when she died by suicide after years of abuse, both in person and especially online. Jackie then began to campaign for justice for Nicole, also known as Coco. However, due to Ireland’s outdated laws, this proved to be increasingly difficult. At the time, the existing harassment laws were written before social media became widespread, and therefore, it was difficult to apply traditional laws to digital behaviour. However, after years of sustained campaigning, public advocacy, and pressure on lawmakers, Ireland adopted the  Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020, widely known as Coco’s law. What began as a fight for justice in Ireland has since raised a wider question: could Ireland’s approach influence how Europe responds to online abuse?

Over the past decade, Viktor Orbán’s brand of illiberal politics has evolved from a domestic hegemony in Hungary into a transnational phenomenon shaping political discourse, particularly in Eastern Europe. Often framed as a model of ‘sovereign democracy’, Orbanism has come to represent a blend of democratic backsliding, strategic EU obstruction, and an increasingly unsettling closeness to Moscow. As Orbán’s ideology spreads across neighbouring states, from Slovakia and Czechia to Bulgaria, the region faces a critical question: whether Orbanism remains a temporary political trend or a deeper structural challenge to the EU project.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, chances are you have seen pictures of Macron decked out in Maverick-style sunglasses in Davos. Indeed, his take on the Top Gun look did not go unnoticed at the World Economic Forum, leaving the press (and social media users) wanting more. Whether the craze surrounding this fashion statement was intended or not, it signaled one thing clearly: Macron is leaning into a stronger, more assertive image on the world stage. As he navigates a second Trump term and positions himself as a critical mediator in the Ukraine conflict, a provocative question arises: Is Macron not only the President of France but also of Europe?

The rising tide of right-wing populist parties across the continent and the apparent ineffectiveness of the strategies deployed to combat them have led to a pervasive conventional wisdom that it is only a matter of time before the firewalls are dismantled or broken through by insurgent political movements such as Alternative für Deutschland or Rassemblement national in France. 

Military mobility via railways - Interview with Terk Felix Kraft Part II

By: Olaia Mujika Anduiza and Lavinia Tacke

Reading time: 7 minutes

In July 2025, the Commission proposed a Military Mobility Package that came as no surprise. For some time now, both the Commission and EU Member States have highlighted the lack of military mobility coordination among Member States as a serious issue that needs to be addressed. The package thus appears intended to provide a concrete framework for addressing these long-standing coordination challenges.

Epstein Friends in Europe : How the Files’ Revelations Overshadow Europe’s Elite

By: Anneke Pelzer, reading time: 3 Minutes

What do Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Mona Juul, the ambassador of Norway to Jordan, and Peter Mandelson, the British ambassador to the U.S., have in common? They all lost their jobs due to revelations about their connections to the sexual offender Jeffrey Epstein. The information being revealed with each publication of the so-called Epstein files has a sphere of influence that extends far beyond the borders of the U.S. When the former prince Andrew was arrested last week for suspicion of misconduct, it became clear that the revelations’ impact reached Europe.

Security starts at the Rail Station - Interview on military mobility with Terk Felix Kraft Part I

By: Olaia Mujika Anduiza and Lavinia Tacke, reading time: 8 Minutes

While Europe is discussing military issues mostly in terms of conscription and the reconfiguration of alliances, one topic that remains largely overlooked by the broader media is arguably more important than ever: the EU’s military mobility infrastructure. In recent years, the EU has faced a serious backdrop of capability gaps in its military mobility infrastructure. Some shortcomings have become so severe that countries are now considering reactivating long-unused and, in part, dysfunctional infrastructure. The scale and urgency of current demands, driven by support for Ukraine and the extension of NATO's border with Russia due to Finland's accession to the alliance, have exposed the limits of Europe’s existing capacity.

By Tricia Pelser, Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

The United States is widely regarded as one of the most influential nations in the world. Its dominant economic strength, military power, and cultural reach extend far beyond its borders and actively work to shape global trends. However, few movements have generated as much international political resonance as the rise of the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement. Emerging from American conservatism, MAGA has not only transformed American politics, but some view it as leading certain European movements to seemingly mirror its political rhetoric, strategy, and ideology. As right-wing movements have begun and continue to gain traction, the parallels between their messaging and MAGA’s core themes have become increasingly apparent

By Aurora Dagnino, Reading Time: 4 minutes

A recent survey shows that the majority of the population in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain consider their pension system to be unaffordable.

By: Nikola Kirkov

Reading time: 6 minutes

Latvia’s political landscape has been thrown into turmoil after a controversial parliamentary vote to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention sparked widespread protests and fears of democratic backsliding. As public demonstrations intensify and European partners express mounting concern, the furore has become a defining litmus test for Latvia’s commitment to human rights and EU values.

By: Lavinia Tacke

After nine years of negotiations, in September 2025, the EU officially finalized its trade deal with Indonesia, as part of its efforts to diversify its trade alliances following the Trump tariffs. However, this deal has sparked a debate concerning the human rights situation in Indonesia, the largest economy in Southeast Asia. Has the EU traded its commitment to human rights and its environmental values for an economic deal?

Written by: Anneke Pelzer, Reading time: 4 min

Countries abolished their mandatory military conscriptions, like Sweden in 2010 and Germany in 2011, when peace and security in Europe were still largely taken for granted. Over the past decade, starting with Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 leading up to today’s ongoing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, armies have become more important again. War feels closer to Europe’s capitals now, urging leaders to think about ways to step up their defense. 

Written by: Margaux Baudry, Reading time: 4 min

More than 65,000 “alien” immigrants are currently detained in immigration jails across the United States. A historic record, which we can thank Trump’s administration for. Since the beginning of Trump’s second term, in February 2025, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agency has been synonymous with fear for many people of color in the US. 

Some now sleep with their passports beside them, carry their birth certificates wherever they go, avoid public gatherings, and, in extreme cases, choose not to leave their homes at all. The question looms large: What exactly is ICE, and how did it become such a force of intimidation?

By: Nikola Kirkov, Reading time: 7 min

This week, the European Union awoke to yet another episode of civil unrest in one of its Member States. Just 31 days before its planned entry into the eurozone, Bulgaria has plunged into an unprecedented political situation. On Wednesday, thousands of citizens gathered on the emblematic Independence Square in Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia, rallying around a giant pink piggy bank. The majority of the slogans on the protestors’ banner also featured the animal, a symbol of the ruling elite within the Eastern European country, which has long been accused of robbing Bulgaria of its money, features, and transparency. Following the large-scale protests, the government withdrew the 2026 budget, which had been scheduled to replace the lev with the euro officially. Now consultations are starting from scratch.