Ursula von der Leyen
Reports on Ursula von der Leyen See all →
Pandemic diplomacy in the Western Balkans
In the Western Balkans, Moscow and Beijing’s vaccine diplomacy has strengthened their influence, especially over Serbia. Other countries in the region have mostly placed their hopes on the European Union, but deliveries are delayed. On the whole, the pandemic is likely to lead to civic dissatisfaction in response to increasing restrictions on civil liberties.
The German economic policy agenda for Europe
The German presidency of the European Union is likely to have a mixed legacy. On one hand, the financial packages agreed should be considered a French-German political success. On the other, the fiscal consequences of the new measures will allow the European Union to raise debt on an unprecedented scale, ...
The EU’s new, more practical strategy for Africa
The EU’s new strategy for Africa focuses on areas that are of crucial importance in the eyes of African governments: green transition and energy access, digital transformation, sustainable growth and jobs, peace and governance, and migration and mobility. However, a lack of political cohesion on the European side could prevent ...
Relevance beyond the crisis: Emerging contours of a weakened Europe
The coronavirus crisis has had a profound effect on Europe, not only bringing changes that no one thought possible just months ago but deepening divisions and intensifying acrimony between EU countries. With these ruptures laid bare, the bloc again faces an existential crisis. It should survive for now, but a ...
Relevance beyond the crisis: The future of macroeconomic policy
While the scale of the coronavirus emergency requires government intervention, it is worth asking what the consequences of those rescue measures will be in the long term, especially considering the preexisting weaknesses of the economy. Unless the magnitude of the crisis raises awareness of governments’ failings, some European countries’ bloated ...
