Europe & Transatlantic Relations

In March 2025, the world marked the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action during the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Halyna Kotliuk and Anna Antonina Lysiak provide an analytical reflection on the key themes discussed in New York — from women’s political participation and rising transnational conservatism to gender-based violence, child marriage, and the exclusion of demining from gender policies. Ukraine’s voice was heard internationally, showcasing both progress and challenges in the context of war.

Following the change of government in 2023, Poland once again faces a historic crossroads. An emotionally charged election campaign reflects deep social divisions – and the struggle for the country's future.

Instruction has been pared to the basics in everything from combined arms to officer training.

In 2023, Germany’s Federal Foreign Office and its Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development published guidelines for a feminist foreign and development policy. Political headwinds, however, are jeopardising the implementation of the concepts.

Ukraine is holding pilot renewable energy auctions on Thursday (31 October) to attract investments in decentralized power generation, but high debt and a lack of trust in state payments are threatening any fast build-out.

As Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine reminds European countries about the importance of manpower, many are once again weighing the promise and perils of compulsory military service. 

Timothy Garton Ash is one of the greatest political voices in Europe. In his latest book “Homelands,” he tells the story of how Europe emerged from the ravages of war in 1945, recovered, rebuilt, and moved towards the ideal of a Europe that is “whole, free, and at peace” ‒ until Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A conversation with Roderick Kefferpütz about shattered illusions, the war in Ukraine, democratic backsliding, and the fight for freedom.

EU nukes, EU army, EU Defence Commissioner – the debate on European security and defence is heating up. It feels like every week a new political proposal is made. So we asked three questions to Sara Nanni, Member of the German Bundestag and the Green parliamentary group’s spokesperson on defence policy, on how she views the latest developments.