A Russian victory in Ukraine would change the map of Europe. Germany could help prevent this by sending vital military equipment to Kyiv and banning Russian energy imports.
Tolerating the torture and killings in Bucha, Borodyanka, and Kramatorsk is a danger to European democracy. Documenting these war crimes, along with changing Germany’s attitude toward appeasement, is one way the EU can actively support Ukraine.
Aleksandar Vucic’s re-election as president will have important consequences for both Serbia and the wider region. Stuck between Russia and the West, Belgrade will likely continue its balancing act.
After Viktor Orbán’s landslide victory, the illiberal Hungary experiment will continue. Brussels must respond decisively to the erosion of democracy and media freedom.
Russia´s invasion of Ukraine strengthens the geostrategic case for the EU offering a membership perspective to Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. But it also calls for a more political approach to accession.
President Zelensky seems willing to accept a neutral status for Ukraine in return for firm security guarantees. But without the required political will on the Russian side, a mutually acceptable deal may be out of reach.
Longstanding European democracies have suffered troubling erosions to individual rights and freedoms in recent years due to pandemic countermeasures and a host of other reasons.
Informal civil society initiatives have expanded in recent years, leading to more fluid and less hierarchical forms of civic participation. To effectively boost European democracy, these groups must deepen and solidify without moving toward formalization.
Moscow is seeking to revise the existing world order. Liberal Europe’s biggest mistake would be compromising on its core values and legitimizing Putin’s approach to international politics.
Ukrainians fleeing their homes in cities under Russian bombardment have been met with kindness and solidarity in Poland. To fully restore its image in the EU, Warsaw must show it respects the values Ukraine is fighting for.