To prepare for a larger union, the EU needs institutional reform. But enlargement and deeper integration have always gone hand in hand and should not be seen as mutually exclusive.

With a snap legislative election approaching, French politics is in turmoil. The vote’s outcome will impact the nation’s role in Europe, NATO, and transatlantic relations.

The incoming EU leadership will have to navigate political turbulence and internal power dynamics. Working together as a real team would help in tackling the challenges ahead.

France, Germany, and Poland have concrete ideas for making EU foreign policy more coherent and effective. The union’s incoming leadership should use these proposals to strengthen the bloc.

A stronger far-right presence in the European Parliament could put a brake on some EU policies. But the main test to the bloc’s stability and global role may come from the rise of nationalist politics in France and Germany.

This week’s political conferences will highlight Ukraine’s threefold challenge of wartime resilience, recovery, and EU accession. Kyiv’s partners must adjust to thinking in all three dimensions simultaneously.

Being pro-EU does not win politicians many votes in the Western Balkans and the Caucasus. There, Viktor Orbán’s version of an illiberal Europe appears to be the union’s top-rated political export.

Europe’s biggest economy is struggling to cope with a rapidly changing geopolitical environment. Chancellor Scholz has yet to provide the necessary leadership.

The recognition of a Palestinian state remains a highly divisive issue among European governments. Even if EU member states reached consensus, the value of such a move would be largely symbolic.

Britain’s Labour party looks set to win July’s general election. In recalibrating the country’s foreign policy, Keir Starmer’s government intends to work more closely with the EU while tackling global challenges.