Insights

Trump’s tariffs will fail in his objective of transforming trade, particularly if others remain open and resist retaliation. In this context the EU’s deal is fine in the short-term but should...

The European Commission’s latest budget proposal – including a new levy on large companies operating across the EU – is being spun as a contribution to “competitiveness” and “strategic...

The Internal Market began—and remains—a construct completed through dissension, rather than through an evolution of harmonious cooperation and compromises. Arguably, the Single Market was...

This blog post is based on an article published in El País on the 6th of July 2025. The original article can be found here. On 9 July – or maybe later who knows – Donald Trump is expected to...

On July 2, 2025, the European Commission released its Quantum Strategy, outlining the EU’s vision to secure a leading position in the global quantum race. The strategy emphasises quantum’s...

Different paradigms or mental models sometimes take hold of policymakers. In the field of AI, Europe has for the past years been beguiled by “regulation” – a model that is not just assumed to...

Something doesn’t add up. In Geneva, countries continue to profess undying commitment to the WTO. Meanwhile, their governments back home scramble for deals with Washington – deals which undermine...

For centuries, Europe has been politically fragmented. Counterintuitively, this fragmentation was a blessing, not a curse. The reason was that, unlike other absolute monarchs, such as Chinese...

There are different ways to think about the economy. Economic reality will routinely present any policymaker with challenges that require actions in the short term: crises that motivate cyclical...

On May 19 the UK and EU started a new phase in their turbulent history. By agreeing a future program of work including negotiating alignment on food and drink regulations (SPS) and emissions trading...