EU

Introduction The US is on the move and the geopolitical scenario has moved quickly away from the certainties of the last ten to fifteen years. Oil could come down to a price well below US$50-per-barrel, with prices for other petrochemical products falling in concert. That would spark an economic upswing in the USA, lowering prices […]

  The United Kingdom’s prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, visited Beijing last week, leading a delegation of top British business people for meetings with President Xi Jinping. The prime minister stated “China matters,” leaving room for interpretation. A similar visit was carried out by French President Emmanuel Macron in December, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz […]

  Born from the wreckage of World War II, the European welfare state promised citizens economic security, social justice, solidarity and dignity. And for over half a century, it largely delivered. As Europe rebuilt, generous social protection systems went hand in hand with booming economies. Healthcare, pensions, family support, unemployment benefits and a wide range […]

  The widely circulated news that the EU is backtracking on the ban on selling cars with internal combustion engines in 2035 is greatly exaggerated. Rather than a U-turn, it’s more like a slight braking that probably comes too late to avoid the accident. On December 16, 2025, the European Commission proposed to relax the […]

  Europe faces a growing challenge that cannot be solved easily: the loss of human capital. As global competition for skilled labor intensifies, the European Union is struggling to retain its best minds and attract new ones. This “brain drain” is not a new phenomenon, but it is becoming increasingly acute, structural and geopolitically relevant. […]