Expert Comment — Europe Programme 16 April 2026 Key Findings EU average unemployment stands at 6 per cent — near historic lows — but youth unemployment exceeds 20 per cent in Spain, Greece and Italy. Nearly half of young workers aged 15-24 in the EU are on temporary contracts, compared to just 12 per cent […]
Europe’s Employment Paradox: Low Overall Unemployment Conceals a Generation at Risk Read More »
Expert Comment — Europe Programme 15 March 2026 Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 triggered what many described as a “revolution” in European defence spending. Germany announced a €100 billion special fund (the Zeitenwende). Denmark abandoned its opt-out from EU defence cooperation. Poland announced plans to more than double the size of its
European Defence Spending After Ukraine: The Gap Between Promises and Capabilities Read More »
Expert Comment — Europe Programme 3 March 2026 The European Union’s energy transition has entered a new and more difficult phase. The early stages — building wind and solar capacity, setting targets, passing legislation — were relatively straightforward. The current phase — integrating variable renewables into the grid, managing the social costs of transition, maintaining
Europe’s Energy Transition: Progress, Costs and the Coming Political Test Read More »
Expert Comment — Europe Programme 18 February 2026 The European Union’s decision to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova in December 2024 marked a historic turning point in the history of European integration. For the first time since the Eastern enlargement of 2004-2007, the EU has made a credible commitment to expanding eastward. But
EU Enlargement in 2026: Ukraine, the Balkans and the Future of European Integration Read More »
Expert Comment — Europe Programme 5 February 2026 Italy has long been Europe’s most enigmatic major economy — a country with immense potential constrained by structural weaknesses, political instability and the highest public debt in the eurozone after Greece. In 2026, Italy faces a familiar set of challenges but in a new and more difficult
Italy’s Political Economy: Between Fiscal Constraints and Reform Imperatives Read More »
Expert Comment — Europe Programme 22 January 2026 Five years after the conclusion of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the European Union, the United Kingdom’s post-Brexit economic and strategic realignment remains very much a work in progress. The government’s flagship “Global Britain” agenda has achieved some notable successes — including accession to the Comprehensive
Expert Comment — Europe Programme 15 January 2026 France has long been the most vocal advocate of European “strategic autonomy” — the idea that Europe must develop the capacity to defend itself independent of the United States. Under President Macron, this concept has moved from a fringe aspiration to a central pillar of French and
France’s Defence Transformation: European Strategic Autonomy and the Test of Credibility Read More »
Expert Comment — Europe Programme 2026-01-12 TBefore February 2022, German industry enjoyed an energy cost advantage that was the envy of Europe. Russian pipeline gas, delivered through Nord Stream 1 at prices indexed to oil with a six-month lag, cost German manufacturers approximately half what their Chinese competitors paid and a third of what US
Expert Comment — Europe Programme 2026-01-12 IOn February 24, 2023, one year to the day after Russia invaded Ukraine, BASF announced a decision that would have been unthinkable five years earlier. The world’s largest chemical company, founded in 1865 and headquartered in Ludwigshafen ever since, would permanently close several of its most energy-intensive plants at
Expert Comment — Europe Programme 8 January 2026 For decades, Germany’s economic model was the envy of the developed world. Built on a foundation of cheap Russian energy, export-led growth, and deep integration with the Chinese market, it delivered prosperity, stability, and a massive trade surplus. In 2026, every pillar of that model has been
Germany’s Economic Model at a Crossroads: The End of the ‘Made in Germany’ Era? Read More »
