We are in the middle of the AI race. On April 9, Digital Commissioner Henna Virkkunen presented the EU's new AI Continent Action Plan. The goal? Making Europe a global hub for AI innovation. No more talk of bans or limitations. The action plan is about boosting competitiveness and claiming leadership. We asked Alexandra Geese MEP (Greens/EFA) what this shift means. 

On 9 April 2025, Germany’s incoming government of Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and Social Democrats (SPD) concluded a governing ‘contract’ that paves the way for the partners to take office in May. The new chancellor will be CDU chief Friedrich Merz, who underscored in the campaign that climate protection would not be a top priority. Paul Hockenos reports.

The externalisation of migration and asylum management by the EU raises numerous ethical, legal and operational questions. Externalisation agreements exacerbate the vulnerabilities of displaced people in search for safety, as they force them to resort to smuggling or trafficking rings. This dossier by the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung's Thessaloniki office provides the space for this timely discussion on the intersection between human rights and foreign and security policy and its expression in terms of migration policies globally.

While Brussels may see the Jadar lithium mining project as a strategic step toward a greener future, Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić sees it as a tactical tool to reinforce his grip on power - just as hundreds of thousands rise to reclaim democracy.