Articles

Europe faces war, trade tensions, climate chaos and AI disruption all at once, with limited political bandwidth to match. This month's newsletter explores what real capacity to act requires: dynamic institutions, bold partnerships beyond full EU membership, political leadership amid fraying centrism, and the funding to back it all up.

Iceland has voted against reopening EU accession negotiations on 29 August 2026. Kikka Sigurðardóttir, Leader of the Icelandic Greens Græningjar, explains what really drove the 52.8% referendum result: fishing rights, rural identity, and a simple lack of urgency. She also looks at what deepening ties with Brussels could still mean for Iceland, and how the country should position itself as the US grows less predictable and Arctic tensions rise.

Fossil fuel volatility is driving inflation across the EU, but the solution is already available.This analysis the financial case for the energy transition shows how solar and wind lowered wholesale electricity prices by 24.2% between 2023 and 2025, and why the price effect grows stronger as renewable capacity increases. It also examines the investment gap still holding the transition back, and why the cost of capital will decide how fast Europe can build its way to cheaper, more stable energy.

The new British prime minister is a far better communicator than Keir Starmer. But we have little idea of his thinking about the world beyond Britain, says Ros Taylor. For the moment, Andy Burnham’s priorities lie at home.

When the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan five years ago, the EU set out conditions for engagement, but the prospect of them being fulfilled is more remote than ever. Nevertheless, ties are growing closer.

Since Germany’s last federal election in 2025, its centrist parties have lost large numbers of voters to the fringes – particularly to the Right. At the same time, the Greens have also regained ground. A new study gives clues as to how a centre-left political platform can secure a strong governing majority.

Testimonial by Irene Cresci, Trainee from March to July 2026.

The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung's Global Unit for Democracy and Human Rights in Brussels is welcoming applications for its traineeship programme, running from mid-September 2026 to December 2026. The deadline for applications is Sunday, 16 August 2026, 23:59 CEST.

The European Commission suggests a new electrification target, doubling the share of electrons in the EU final energy consumption by the year 2040. Can it energise a common EU energy policy again to prevent fossil fuel price hikes and combat the climate crisis?

The European Commission has revealed its revision of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), the cornerstone of European climate policy. Since 2005, this cap and trade system has capped greenhouse gas emissions across covered sectors while letting companies trade allowances. But with the Linear Reduction Factor, free allocation and price volatility all up for debate, and a possible extension to private jets and waste incineration on the table, how much climate ambition will survive the rewrite? We put three questions to MEP Michael Bloss (Greens/EFA), shadow rapporteur for the ETS reform, on where the real red lines should be drawn.