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“The US could leave NATO if we are not treated fairly.”– Donald Trump, 8 December 2024. US President elect Donald Trump has once again caused a stir by declaring the possibility of a US withdrawal from NATO. This statement, although controversial, is nothing new in the political rhetoric of Trump, who had already raised doubts […]

Romania is at the centre of an unprecedented democratic crisis. On 6 December 2024, the Constitutional Court annulled the results of the first round of the presidential elections, citing serious irregularities and suspicions of external interference. This decision came a few days after the results were announced, raising profound questions about the vulnerability of the […]

On 5 December 2024, the European Commission ordered TikTok to freeze and store all data related to the Romanian elections. This action, made possible by the Digital Services Act (DSA), shows how the EU is using innovative legislative tools to protect democracy from the risks of the digital world.The decision follows the discovery of a […]

Ireland reappointed the outgoing coalition, proving that governing and winning elections without populism and anti-Europeanism is still possible. Unlike many other countries, voters chose not to punish incumbent rulers during the era of COVID-19 and high inflation. The election campaign was dominated by the question of how to reconcile sound public finances with voters’ concerns […]

It is very recent news, announced by the Wall Street Journal, that Pete Hegseth, selected by Donald Trump as a possible Secretary of Defence, will probably not be confirmed by the US Senate, which for the second time in a few days would be able to block a Trumpian nomination (the first had been Matt […]

On 3 December 2024, the European Union reached an agreement on the EU Deforestation Regulation, marking the end of a negotiation path characterised by high political tensions. The goal of the regulation is to eliminate deforestation from the supply chains of products such as beef, soy, timber, cocoa, palm oil, coffee and rubber within the […]

France is going through one of the most serious political crises in its recent history. The government led by Michel Barnier, already in a precarious position, is threatened by a no-confidence motion that unites in an unprecedented way two opposing political forces: the Rassemblement National (RN) of Marine Le Pen and La France Insoumise of […]

Having overcome the difficulties of the complex European negotiations, the Von Der Leyen II Commission is finally set in motion, with Raffaele Fitto in the role of executive vice-president, flanked by Teresa Ribera. His nomination eventually won the favourable vote of the European Socialists, albeit with some distinguation, the Liberals of Renew Europe, the Populars […]

Donald Trump has been making this clear for a year. Either Europe increases military spending or America disengages from NATO policy. If not understood, the American diktat could be an existential turning point for the European Union. The American warning is not only a request for defensive support, but has above all a market logic. […]

Defence spending in Italy is today the focus of political and media debate, also in light of the commitments made with NATO to allocate 2% of GDP to the sector by 2028. This goal, although ambitious, still seems far off, despite the increases provided for in the 2025 Budget Law. Italy, with current spending of […]

On 28 November 2024, the European Parliament, by a narrow majority, approved the composition of the new Von der Leyen-led Commission. An outcome that was not a foregone conclusion, given the premises, which makes it worthwhile to make a few considerations regarding the democratic scope of what has happened in recent months in the old […]

Last year, according to an analysis by research site Carbon Brief, China surpassed the European Union in historical cumulative carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, becoming the second largest global contributor, preceded only by the United States. Western ‘guilt’ no longer holds water The overtaking, both symbolic and strategic, highlights a profound shift in global power relations […]

How long can a democracy last without participation? This is no longer a rhetorical question. The answer, unfortunately, is clear: it cannot last. The recent regional elections in Emilia-Romagna and Umbria, with turnouts of 46.42% and 52.13% respectively, mark a further step towards the decline of democratic participation. In the last European elections in June, […]

The affair of migrants ferried back and forth in the Adriatic between Italy and Albania is taking on contours that go far beyond a clumsy and costly attempt by the Meloni government to respond to the pressures of migration flows. 11 November marked a new chapter in the affair: the Court of Rome suspended the […]