Europe & Transatlantic Relations

Ukrainian women have become indispensable in national defense and resilience, reshaping gender norms and taking on critical roles. Without direct support for local women’s groups, their impact risks being undermined by structural exclusion.

In an age marked by rising authoritarianism and anti-gender backlash, feminist peace in the Western Balkans stands as both an act of resistance and a re-imagining of security itself. The Women, Peace and Security Agenda needs to be reviewed.

Europe and Canada can only protect their digital ecosystems against US interference if they start investing in tech sovereignty now.

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.

A Trump presidency would probably force the UK and EU to intensify their cooperation on security and defence. Fortunately, says Gesine Weber, this relationship was relatively less affected by Brexit. It would also push Europeans to have some difficult conversations about building on their own nuclear deterrent.

With right-authoritarian forces on the one hand and liberal-progressive ones on the other, elections in 2024 will be fought in several major democracies, including in the European Union. Focussing on the latter, this article explores the electoral chances of the European Green Party (EGP) members, an umbrella organization for environmentalist-progressive forces.

Whether hard power projection or diplomacy, Europe’s role on the world stage might already have evaporated. This article analyses three aspects of a dwindling Europe in the global security realm.

Ever since its first proposal in the 1950s, the European army has been a ghost in the system of European Defence debates. But it is an unhelpful and distracting concept for the challenges that the EU and Europe more broadly are currently facing.

With US support waning, European nations could be much more in a bind to step up and provide streamlined military aid for Ukraine in 2024. While the war in Ukraine lead to replenished national defense budgets, different interests and agendas so far have prevented substantial European collaboration.

Security policy has always been a very high priority in Poland, which results from the country`s difficult past and the latent threat posed by Russia. The Russian invasion of Ukraine reaffirmed Poland`s commitment to its security policy and prompted more investment in defence. The country has now become an important player on NATO`s eastern flank. Joanna Maria Stolarek talks about this with Justyna Gotkowska, a security expert and deputy director of the think tank The Centre for Eastern Studies.

Reproductive rights are a political issue in Poland. This is particularly visible in the election campaign, which makes it all the more surprising that many women do not want to vote.

Polish politics divides rather than unites. This is very clear from the ongoing election campaign. Polish society is deeply polarised. PiS voters are resistant to the scandals of the ruling party, or cynically choose the option that gives them the greatest benefit. Despite this, sociologist Dr Przemysław Sadura does not foresee the end of democracy in Poland.

The EU’s half-baked response to the US investment offensive is putting its competitiveness and our future prosperity at risk. Now is the time for deeper European integration and major adjustments to EU treaty law.