This diagram is like a comforting blanket. Brought to you by @vkreilinger.bsky.social. From our @sieps.bsky.social publication "EU foreign policy via Enhanced Cooperation sieps.se/en/publicati... www.linkedin.com/posts/vkreil...

Ursula von der Leyen endorses enhanced cooperation before the EU leaders' retreat on Thursday: "we should not shy away from using the possibilities foreseen in the treaties on enhanced cooperation" www.euractiv.com/news/von-der... Link to the paper with my infographic: sieps.se/en/publicati... #EUCO

The EU24 loan to Ukraine: EU Foreign Policy via Enhanced Cooperation, jointly written with Christian Maurice Bissinger and @lewander.bsky.social for @sieps.bsky.social, with an updated visualisation of Enhanced Cooperation in one figure sieps.se/en/publicati...

On 18 December 2025, EU24 leaders agreed on a €90 bn loan to Ukraine. This new European Policy Analysis addresses central aspects of the European Council decision, particularly regarding the immobilised Russian assets, the enhanced cooperation, and the EU as a foreign and security policy actor.

The EU24 loan to Ukraine: EU Foreign Policy via Enhanced Cooperation, jointly written with Christian Maurice Bissinger and @lewander.bsky.social for @sieps.bsky.social, with an updated visualisation of Enhanced Cooperation in one figure sieps.se/en/publicati...

Nytt avsnitt av Sieps podcast! Efter en turbulent vecka i Europapolitiken gästar Björn Fägersten och @gvonsydow.bsky.social podden för att analysera läget. Hur djup är klyftan mellan EU och USA, och hur ska Europa agera i den nya världsordning som växer fram? sieps.se/podcast/siep...

🚨 TODAY in #ECPRSeminars on the EU @ecprsgeu.bsky.social Our speakers explore how negotiation dynamics differ across high-stakes policy areas, focusing on environment and justice 🎙️Selma Bendjaballah and @vkreilinger.bsky.social 💻 19 Jan, 15:00–16:30 GMT buff.ly/JXZvgpn #EuropeanUnion

Looking forward to discussing "Negotiating in times of polycrisis. Evidence from the EU" at the first edition of the @ecprsgeu.bsky.social Online Seminar Series in 2026 with Selma Bendjaballah of @cdsp-sciencespo.bsky.social on Monday, 16:00-17:30 CET: ecpr.eu/Events/348

🛎️ Next in #ECPRSeminars on the EU @ecprsgeu.bsky.social Our speakers explore how negotiation dynamics differ across high-stakes policy areas, focusing on environment and justice 🎙️Selma Bendjaballah and @vkreilinger.bsky.social 💻 19 Jan, 15:00–16:30 GMT #EuropeanUnion

Enhanced cooperation under Article 20 TEU is a smart move. Here is how it works 👇

Interesting insights on the institutional implications of the EU decision last night

Much to be critical on how last night's EU decision on a loan to Ukraine came about. But together with the use of Art. 122 on the Russian loans the way via Enhanced Cooperation shows that on foreign policy, the EU is willing to move from Unity to Action as its guiding principle.

Enhanced cooperation under Article 20 TEU is a smart move. Here is how it works 👇

Article 20 TEU for ”enhanced cooperation“ is mentioned in the Conclusions of the European Council on the reparations loan for Ukraine. A smart move! It allows to go ahead without Orbán, Fico and Babiš. Is the #EU24 the new EU? #EUCO 1/3

‼️ The EU has used Article 122 TFEU again. My new @sieps.bsky.social analysis of the legal workaround to freeze the assets of the Russian Central Bank, and four possible repercussions sieps.se/media/ndzouh... #EUCO #QMV #Article122

‼️ The EU has used Article 122 TFEU again. My new @sieps.bsky.social analysis of the legal workaround to freeze the assets of the Russian Central Bank, and four possible repercussions sieps.se/media/ndzouh... #EUCO #QMV #Article122

The decision to use article 122 was a bold move, writes @vkreilinger.bsky.social in this timely @sieps.bsky.social analysis. Much at stake for EUCO starting Thursday sieps.se/en/publicati...

For any kind of problem, dial (Article) 122

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...

No surprise, but an important inter-institutional struggle on EU defence policy-making #SAFE www.euractiv.com/section/defe...

Russia’s war against Ukraine has transformed the security situation in Europe. One consequence is that EU enlargement is once again a top priority. In a new SIEPS publication, leading experts discuss what it takes to achieve peace, security and stability in Europe by enlarging the EU.

In the 2nd #FitFor35 volume, edited by @gvonsydow.bsky.social, @patricia-wadensjo.bsky.social and me, eight leading experts share their views on EU enlargement and reform: @erik-jones.bsky.social, Enlargement and Institutional Reform: How to make a credible security commitment 1/4

Instructive overview of three rounds of Spitzenkandidaten by @vkreilinger.bsky.social My view is that the 2024 experience was at most a 'glass half-full': VDL played ball but only half-heartedly and did not face serious competition /1 ...

It's time to look back 11 years, 6 years and 1 year #EP2014 #EP2019 #EP2024! And to think about the future of the Spitzenkandidaten procedure. My latest European Policy Analysis for @sieps.bsky.social: sieps.se/en/publicati...

New publication by SIEPS senior researcher Valentin Kreilinger @vkreilinger.bsky.social: The ‘Spitzenkandidaten saga’ 2014, 2019, 2024: Three races to become Commission President Read the analysis and download it on SIEPS site.

Merz & Macron (BILD, 8 May 2025, p. 2). And my take on Germany and the EU with Chancellor Merz: sieps.se/en/publicati...

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

Friedrich Merz’s high ambitions on spending and speed have already clashed with harsh realities. In a new Perspective, Political Scientist @vkreilinger.bsky.social (SIEPS) sheds light on the difficult tasks facing the soon-to-be German Chancellor.

My take @sieps.bsky.social on Germany and the EU with #Merz: Ambition meets Reality sieps.se/en/publicati...

Joint proposal by CDU/CSU and SPD: All defence spending above 1% of GDP exempt from the debt brake plus a new €500bn special fund for infrastructure! www.spiegel.de/politik/deut...

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! 👇

BILD: top jobs with Chancellor #Merz CDU: Thorsten Frei: Chair of CDU/CSU group or Home Affairs or Minister in the Chancellery Carsten Linnemann: Chair of CDU/CSU group or Economic Affairs and Labour Julia Klöckner: Speaker/President of the Bundestag Silvia Breher: Family Katrin Prien: Education

BILD: top jobs with Chancellor #Merz CDU: Thorsten Frei: Chair of CDU/CSU group or Home Affairs or Minister in the Chancellery Carsten Linnemann: Chair of CDU/CSU group or Economic Affairs and Labour Julia Klöckner: Speaker/President of the Bundestag Silvia Breher: Family Katrin Prien: Education

Yes, the debt brake must be reformed. But #Merz announces less than 24 hours after the polling stations closed that he will speak with SPD and Greens to reform it in the *old* parliament. 12 of his MPs didn't follow #Merz for his motion on 31 January, this number could be higher for the debt brake!

Could Merz increase defence spending in the regular budget to € 100 bn or more annually and get the Left Party to agree to a new special fund (€ 500 bn? 750 bn?) for infrastructure? #Schuldenbremse

Nice charts showing the progressive decline of the social democrat/christian democrat duopoly that dominated post-war German politics until the 2010s

Newspaper front pages, 24 Feb 2025 BILD: Merz does it BZ: Today is 1st Merz FAZ: Merz wants to form government by Easter Handelsblatt: Election winner Merz NZZ: CDU/CSU wins, SPD plummets SZ: "The world out there isn't waiting for us" (...) 1/2

Great chart for seeing that the key change in 🇩🇪 politics is the fragmentation of the traditional SPD & CDU coalitions of voters into multiple parties

🗳️ Germany: Left, centre, and right at the federal elections since 1949, updated with the official 2025 preliminary results

🗳️ On the preliminary German election result: The voters have narrowed down the coalition options to just one, to the coalition previously known as the "Grand coalition", CDU/CSU and SPD Official chart with separate values for CDU and CSU, without BSW (4.97%) which is included in "Other parties" 👇

Das sind nicht die richtigen Antwortalternativen, liebe ARD. Richtige Antworten wären gewesen: Putin, al-Assad, die Taliban. Kriege, Konflikte und Menschenrechtsverletzungen.

Still not clear how many parties will be in the next Bundestag and which coalition options will have a majority, so let’s look at the German political landscape since 1949👇

Hi, ARD and ZDF! You always show two options: - FDP in, BSW in - FDP out, BSW out But there are two more options: - FDP in, BSW out - FDP out, BSW in

Good to see the German election covered by the biggest Romanian news site with a series of quotes by me: hotnews.ro/urgenta-este...

Friedrich Merz has stated his intention to have a government by Easter, which is 56 days from now. Previous Grand coalitions by Angela Merkel in 2005 and 2013 took 65 and 86 days to be formed:

Most important in my view is whether a stable two party coalition will be possible without the AfD. As @vkreilinger.bsky.social showed in this excellent thread, much depends on whether and which of the small parties enter. Looking good for die Linke, both BSW and FDP are expected to be close.

The FT‘s Europe Express by Tony Barber has a great guide to Germany’s watershed election (on.ft.com/3Qzbom0) and even mentions a recent @sieps.bsky.social publication 😊 (sieps.se/globalassets...)

Exciting YouGov data. SPD loses voters to CDU/CSU, Greens and AfD. Not surprising, Left Party wins voters that voted SPD and Greens in 2021 (I assume some of them might have intended to vote BSW in-between). AfD wins voters from CDU/CSU and SPD. Did I miss something interesting? #btw25

28% would weaken #Merz internally and in coalition negotiations👇 The worst CDU/CSU results: ▪️2021: 24.1% (Laschet) ▪️1949: 31.5% (Adenauer) ▪️2017: 32.9% (Merkel) At the same time, CSU will hugely outperform CDU, with 42% in polls for the Federal election in Bavaria: www.wahlrecht.de/umfragen/lae...

‼️ The recording of our @sieps.bsky.social webinar on the upcoming German election with @almutm.bsky.social and @dittebrasso.bsky.social, moderated by @gvonsydow.bsky.social, is now available: sieps.se/en/web_19feb