The EU approaches serious transformation on a variety of key ares. At the heart of this process lies Enlargement. SIEPS has published the anthology Fit for 35 with contributions from 8 prominent experts. A must-read if your curious about the future of Europe. sieps.se/en/publicati...

Columna | "Existe en España una incapacidad colectiva para despedirse de forma rápida y ordenada. Cuesta mucho lanzarse al abismo del adiós", por Enrique Alpañés social.elpais.com/fnmsz4

Europadagen på Kulturhuset i Stockholm idag. EU-ministern talar kl 10:00. Mina @sieps.bsky.social kollegor @lewander.bsky.social & Markus Johansson talar om svensk EU-opinion kl. 13:15. Jag finns vid Sieps bokbord på förmiddagen. Kom gärna förbi och hälsa! www.regeringen.se/regeringens-...

30 år av svensk EU-opinion - ny rapport från @sieps.bsky.social Svenskarna har förändrats och de har reagerat tydligt på omvärldens kriser. Titta på graferna och och vad som händer kring särskilda årtal.

Perfect Friday read by @vkreilinger.bsky.social to catch up the coming challenges for Germany and EU

So much damage being done to important institutions it’s just mind-boggling. How much of this can be rebuilt even if this government of small and heartless people is kicked out in four years?

"Brain Drain in the US – Brain Gain for Europe? What the EU can do" by @bernd-parusel.bsky.social and Lisa Lundgren @sieps.bsky.social

My latest for @sieps.bsky.social, with Lisa Lundgren. 🇺🇸 🇪🇺

These comments are disturbingly revealing. Firstly, it is supposedly a bad thing when the law is applied to a prominent leader. Secondly, political representation of citizens is confined to "the leader". An archaic worldview. www.politico.eu/article/ital...

Den här diskussionen har pågått ett tag. Viktiga frågor om presidentialisering och demokratisk legitimitet förekommer. Jag skulle nog lägga mer fokus på genomslagskraften i de kriser som har präglat EU:s politiska system de senaste åren. Jämför ledarskapet under eurokrisen. www.dn.se/varlden/hon-...

When the extremes rattle, the centre coagulates. Not always in a good way, but this time yes!

För ett år sedan släpptes @sieps.bsky.social rapport om svensk EU-opinion. En observation var svenskarna blir alltmer positiva till euro. Inom kort kommer nästa rapport och det ska bli intressant att se om tendensen håller i sig.

Manifestation in Rome on Saturday 15 March. Una piazza per l'Europa. Convened by the major of Rome. No party symbols, only EU flags. www.gazzettadiroma.it/una-piazza-p...

It would be surprising if it doesn’t happen

Major @sieps.bsky.social publication out today! 10 essays on ’Key Concepts for the Future of the EU’: #Leadership, #Geopolitics, #Competitiveness, #Security, #Resilience, #Demography, #Inclusion, #Democracy, #Values, #Unity. Edited by @patricia-wadensjo.bsky.social & me. Thread & download here! 👇

Trump and Vance act as if the problem is that Ukraine is resisting an ongoing Russian invasion. The problem is the ongoing Russian invasion. If they want to use American power to stop the war, apply it to the aggressor. Abusing the victim is not going to end a war of aggression.

Nixon goes to China moment for Merz?

Interesting demographical breakdown of German votes. Post-war generation voted stability and no adventures. Die Linke bears no weight among those born pre-89. AfD only weak among post-war born. www.politico.eu/article/germ...

It took 8 years. www.politico.eu/article/ange... From Angela Merkel's realisation of Europe's predicament in München to making it the primary pillar of the next government. Zeitgeist Zeitenwende? www.ft.com/content/61ee...

Osti tú, ¡igual hay que decírselo a Google! 🤣👇

to be realised. In this light, getting a new German government in place relatively quickly seems particularly urgent, write Göran von Sydow, Director of SIEPS and Valentin Kreilinger, SIEPS researcher." www.di.se/debatt/europ... @sieps.bsky.social @dagens-industri.bsky.social

Just when I thought I had not thoughts left on EU enlargement, I went to Tallinn and the wonderful team at @icds-tallinn.bsky.social pulled me back in. Great panels and great subjects. Thanks again @stevenblockmans.bsky.social

It was a pleasure to take part in today's SIEPS webinar; Germany’s election – what does it mean for the EU? 🧵with main points 👇✋ Thank you for an excellent discussion Valentin Kreilinger, Almut Möller and Göran von Sydow @thinktankeuropa.bsky.social @sieps.bsky.social @epc-official.bsky.social

What will make-or-break Friedrich Merz’ coalition options? The number of parties in the next Bundestag! Which of the three small parties in the opinion polls – Left Party 6-7% – BSW 4-4.5% – FDP 4% will pass the 5% threshold? A few scenarios to illustrate how the 630 seats could be distributed 👇

Three takeaways from #MunichSecurityConference on JDVance, Transatlanticism, and the role of think tanks A little thread 1/6

So much (too much?) at stake ahead of the German elections. Join us on 19 February @sieps.bsky.social for a discussion on the implications of new political majorities in Germany. Featuring @almutm.bsky.social, @gvonsydow.bsky.social, @lykkefriis.bsky.social and @vkreilinger.bsky.social

The meaning of Germany for Europe? Read this @sieps.bsky.social paper ahead of the upcoming German elections, written by @vkreilinger.bsky.social

How soon is uncertainty? Join us at @sieps.bsky.social for this webinar on 19th February to discuss the upcoming German elections and their meaning for Europe. Be sure to register! @vkreilinger.bsky.social @lykkefriis.bsky.social @almutm.bsky.social @gvonsydow.bsky.social

Samhällsröster höjs för att göra @sieps.bsky.social större. Intressanta resonemang om vikten av mer kunskap och analys i EU-frågor.

New publication in our @sieps.bsky.social Fit for 35 series on EU enlargement, by @chrishillion.bsky.social Three proposals: 1. Consistency in applying conditionality. 2. End MS capture of the accession process. 3. Progressive inclusion of candidates in EU governance.

Press conference with German PM Scholz and Swedish PM Kristersson is already over 10 minutes late. This is as worrying as it is disturbing for European leadership. www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/medi...

The EU is raising ideas on how to build a total defence, à la Scandinavian mode. Katarina Engberg of @sieps.bsky.social lays out the principal ideas behind this drive.

Very interesting and unusually programmatic invitation letter by @eucopresident.consilium.europa.eu to the informal European Council early February with a big focus on European defence under the shadow of Trump. Three things stand out to me:

Very good by @gesineweber.bsky.social. Defence capacities need credibility as a running partner.

Advocating the need for a rules-based multilateral order in 2025 even feels more of an uphill task than last year.

Now what has this world come to? We have to tell the truth in court as well?

Entrevista muy interesante y revelador con Marine Le Pen en @elpais.com. Sobre todo acerca del estado de derecho y su sentencia pendiente: "¿tres magistrados podrían impedir que me presente, aunque el 50% de los franceses quiera votar por mí?"

My heart just stopped elpais.com/cultura/2024...

New report from SIEPS: What were the drivers of growth in the Bing Bang enlargement coutnries? "Economic growth and real convergence in Central and Eastern Europe: lessons for the future enlargement of the EU" written by Mariusz Próchniak and Ryszard Rapacki

I think this is a very good panorama view over the different approaches to EU enlargement today by @adicerimagic.bsky.social. Many questions and flaws remain, but the issue is real. library.fes.de/pdf-files/bu...

Nordic-Baltic Summit in Sweden starts today. Support for Ukraine, Transatlantic relations and regional security on the agenda. Bilateral talks between Sweden and Poland will be held tomorrow. www.government.se/press-releas...

12 European countries and Ukraine have established a new defence cooperation format. The Northern Group includes DK, DE, EE, FI, IS, LT, LV, NL, NO, PL, SE, UK and will fund military production by Ukrainian companies, thus lessening Ukraine’s reliance on others. www.government.se/articles/202...

Vucic goes to Moscow in May 2025 www.barrons.com/news/serbian...

Registration for our webinar on #Schengen is still possible! Happens today at 14:30 CET. With @stevepeers.bsky.social, @annakompatscher.bsky.social and @jonasbornemann.bsky.social. ➡️ www.sieps.se/en/seminars/...

"Lo que faltaba por decidir era la coreografía para que tanto el PPE como los socialdemócratas justifiquen ante los suyos el paso atrás después de haber escalado la tensión durante esta última semana". Descripción perfecta de @annabuj.bsky.social www.lavanguardia.com/politica/202...

The Weber-Meloni gravity keeps tilting rightwards. But is Weber soon overstretched?

This looks like a promising format - and very good for Poland to be taking the initiative: