About soul and sovereignty: our reaction to Ursula von der Leyen’s 2021 State of the Union address Commentary In her 2021 State of the Union address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen appealed to Europe’s soul, which, she said, has been tested to the core in times of multiple crises. The team of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union did its own soul-searching, pointing at the good, the not-so-good and the missing in von der Leyen’s speech. By Eva van de Rakt , Lisa Tostado , Martin Keim , Anna Schwarz , Zora Siebert and Joan Lanfranco
After Ursula von der Leyen’s ambitious first State of the Union address: It’s time for EU action! Commentary European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s first State of the Union speech showed an ambitious and a strategic approach to the many crises hitting Europe and the world. However, words are not enough. They must be backed up by actions and coherent policy measures. By Eva van de Rakt , Lisa Tostado , Martin Keim , Zora Siebert , Anna Schwarz and Joan Lanfranco
The Wrong Man in the Wrong Place Article Hungary’s dubious candidacy for the neighbourhood and enlargement policy portfolio: After the rejection of László Trócsányi, the country’s acting ambassador to the EU, Olivér Várhelyi, was soon afterwards nominated by Viktor Orbán to the position. There are major questions hanging over his nomination By Benedek Jávor
What's the Matter with Poland? Commentary In the name of effectiveness, democracy and reforms, the Polish government pushes with radical measures to take control over the juidiciary power and slowly loses popular support. By Łukasz Pawłowski
Juncker’s White Paper Has the Answers - and That is the Great Tragedy The European Commission laid out five different post-Brexit scenarios in its latest White Paper. But the way towards a deeper and closer integration project cannot overlook the EU’s demos. By James Bartholomeusz
A Tsunami in Winter: Europe Shakes up Its Energy Policy The European Commission’s winter package aims to reform the EU's energy system. Despite positive developments, EU Member States are still far from finding common ground By Kathrin Glastra and Rebecca Bertram
Why EU Institutions Need an Upgrade Does the European Union need a constitution to become more democratic? Can a European constitution help the institutions gain legitimacy and acceptance among Member States and their citizens? By Klaus Linsenmeier
