Foreign and security policyA negotiating table built on illusions As long as the Kremlin sticks to its maximum demands, Ukraine does not need mediators — but strong allies By Denis Trubetskoy
Foreign and security policyPulling up a chair With Putin signalling a willingness to talk about his war in Ukraine, Europe cannot outsource its interests. It needs its own negotiator at the table By Adis Ahmetovic, Christos Katsioulis
Democracy and societyThe coalition that ate itself Romania’s mainstream parties united against extremism after the 2024 elections. That alliance is now starting to fracture By Cristian Chiscop
Foreign and security policyThe return of Dr Strangelove Trump’s troop withdrawal and missile U-turn in Germany are symptoms of a far bigger danger: the revival of nuclear confrontation politics By Rolf Mützenich
Democracy and societyThe most deceptive form of stability Barely visible, but crucial: the Council of Europe must demonstrate whether Europe’s human rights framework still holds up even in challenging times By Ingmar Naumann
Democracy and societyEscape from reality The German left retreats from X. Yet those who seek political exchange only where it is comfortable will eventually lose their influence in society By Nikolaos Gavalakis
Economy and ecologyWho owns the green transition? Europe’s decarbonisation policies risk deepening inequality unless labour is placed at their centre By Wouter van de Klippe
Future of social democracyRedlessness In Central Europe, social democracy is no longer just in crisis mode — but in the process of disappearing entirely By Henrik Meyer
Future of social democracyThe Left fights back — finally A global left-wing alliance is forming in Barcelona to counter the rise of the far right By Valeska Hesse, Daniel Reichart
Interviews‘Europe must be the guardian of the rules-based international order’ Adis Ahmetovic, foreign affairs spokesperson for the SPD parliamentary group, on dealing with current conflicts and Germany’s role in Europe
More ships, more missiles, more power? The US failure in Iran exposes the limits of power. But it also shows a deeper loss of moral and leadership capital that may be harder to recover
Steppe manoeuvre Kazakhstan and Mongolia are reshaping Central Asia — reducing their dependence on China and Russia
Betting on the wrong horse Voluntary price caps mask a long-term failure to fix today’s affordability crisis; the real issue is access, not checkout prices