news – European Studies Review

In a Time of Need: Considering an Irish Security Service

By Harry Slattery While Europe prepares for a potential €800 billion security and defence boost via the Readiness 2030 package, Ireland remains lacking in many areas, with EU allies raising eyebrows about the island state’s pressing capability gaps. Particularly salient is Ireland’s lack of a dedicated foreign security service. In a European climate increasingly plaguedContinue reading “In a Time of Need: Considering an Irish Security Service”

Passport, please? The new border checks

By Beatriz Santos Mayo Introduction Nowadays, you can travel from Paris to Barcelona and from Milan to Munich without having your passport stamped. Since 1995, the Schengen Agreement has enabled over 450 million people to study, work, and travel freely across the European continent without requiring passport checks at internal borders. However, several member statesContinue reading “Passport, please? The new border checks”

Populism, Euroscepticism and the EU’s Founding Fathers: The 2025 Dutch Elections

By Joanna Tobjasz Nowadays, we can see the rise of populism and Euroscepticism in many European states. Populists are known for calling themselves the “voice of the people” and for emphasising the distinction between “us” (the ordinary people, the nation, etc.) and “them” (the elites, the EU, the newcomers, etc.). In the context of theContinue reading “Populism, Euroscepticism and the EU’s Founding Fathers: The 2025 Dutch Elections”

Opening the European Parliament’s Doors: Engaging Citizens to Address the Housing Crisis

By Edoardo Vezzoli Housing in Contemporary Europe In recent years, the current housing situation has emerged as one of the most pressing challenges across the European Union (EU). Exacerbated by the pandemic and the on-going cost-of-living crisis, housing affordability has indeed significantly worsened across EU Member States, becoming one of the most urgent concerns, ifContinue reading “Opening the European Parliament’s Doors: Engaging Citizens to Address the Housing Crisis”

Realignment in the South Caucasus: Navigating Power Shifts and Partnerships

By Tamta Pantsulaia The three countries in the South Caucasus – Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia – seem to be undergoing significant changes, as events in this region have evolved quite dynamically over the past decade. Regional and external powers, particularly Russia, Turkey and China pose a significant impediment to the political coherence of the SouthContinue reading “Realignment in the South Caucasus: Navigating Power Shifts and Partnerships”

Germany Elections 2025: Candidates, Key Issues, and What to Expect

By Frederik Steinhauser Introduction On February 23rd, Germany will hold general elections for the lower house of Parliament, the Bundestag. After months of crisis, the coalition of Social Democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz has reached the end of the road after losing the vote of confidence, effectively putting an end to his troubled government. Recent PoliticalContinue reading “Germany Elections 2025: Candidates, Key Issues, and What to Expect”