Digital tulips and the spectre of inflation

Miguel Otero-Iglesias. Expert Comment 12/2021 - 8/4/2021.

Bitcoin is neither a medium of exchange nor a unit of account and is too volatile as a store of value. We are facing a digital tulip nurtured by a speculative frenzy.

‘We finally have our Conference on the Future of Europe!’: now, what do we do with it?

Ilke Toygür. Expert Comment 11/2021 - 11/3/2021.

After months of toing and froing on the leadership issue, the Joint Declaration on the Conference was finally signed on 10 March by the European Commission’s President, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Parliament’s President, David Sassoli, and the President of Portugal, Antonio Costa, who is currently occupying the Presidency of the Council of the EU.

The EU-China investment agreement: a step in the right direction

Mario Esteban & Miguel Otero-Iglesias. Expert Comment 9/2021 (English version) - 19/1/2021.

The announcement of an investment agreement between the EU and China (EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment, or CAI) on 30 December has generated a huge controversy.

Great power rivalry in the Middle East

Wojciech Michnik. Expert Comment 7/2021 - 18/1/2021.

Today three external powers –the US, China and Russia– are the leading players behind great power rivalry in the Middle East.The consequences of the Arab Uprisings, the decline of the post-Cold War order and increasing global rivalry between great powers have led to this regional competition anew.

The Portuguese Presidency: striking the balance between unfinished business and leaving its own mark

Nicoletta Pirozzi, Funda Tekin and Ilke Toygür. Expert Comment 2/2021 (English version) - 4/1/2021.

On 1 January 2021 Germany handed over the Presidency of the Council of the EU to Portugal.

The Impact of the Biden Administration on Turkey-EU Relations

Kadri Tastan & Ilke Toygür. 23/12/2020.

On the task of preventing further drift with Turkey, the European Union and the United States face similar challenges.

From Venus to Janus: the EU and international disorder

Miguel Otero-Iglesias. Expert Comment 40/2020 (English version) - 23/11/2020.

The EU is thus facing an historic moment. The challenges of international political economy that loom over us are enormous.

COVID-19 and human rights: conjuring up a defence of the right to science

Jessica Almqvist. Expert Comment 38/2020 - 11/11/2020.

In the context of the current crisis, meeting the state’s obligations to respect, protect and realise the right to science is a challenging task.

A plea for the German Presidency: invest boldly and smartly in the future of Europe

Nicoletta Pirozzi, Funda Tekin & Ilke Toygür. Expert Comment 26/2020 - 30/6/2020.

Expectations for leadership are high, as are hopes that the German Presidency of the Council of the EU will give substance to the claim ‘Together for Europe’s recovery’.

Living with COVID-19: The thinking behind Spain’s lockdown exit plan

Miguel Otero-Iglesias. Expert Comment 21/2020 - 2/6/2020.

Spain’s lockdown exit plan is based on four pillars: (1) proper data and healthcare capacities; (2) geographical asymmetry; (3) a two-way street with different speeds; and (4) subsidiarity and co-responsibility.