Newsletter

2026 began with significant geopolitical tensions marking a year of uncertainty. Make sure to check the commentary by our experts in the media and read their latest blogs. In January, all eyes were on World Economic Forum meeting in Davos and potential takeaways for the year ahead. Listen to the Brussels my Love podcast interview with Eoin Drea on what a dramatic Trump U-turn in Davos means for EU-US relations.

As the year is fast drawing to a close, we are pleased to present to you our last newsletter of 2025 including all our latest activities! This month, we held our annual flagship event, the European Ideas Forum featuring panel discussions and interviews with top policymakers, business leaders, and academics focusing on the pressing challenges ahead and exploring the innovative solutions driving the EU’s next chapter.

Another eventful month came to end and we made sure to bring you all the latest, from COP30 and the EU's next wave of enlargement to the real cost of Russia's war. Don't miss our Executive Director Tomi Huhtanen discussing the COP30 climate summit during the Brussels my Love podcast and be sure to watch our brand new Thinking Talks episode with Vladimir Milov, debunking common myths around the Sino-Russian partnership. 

From migration and demography to EU's competitiveness and defence, this month we covered all the key issues shaping Europe's future. Head to our website to read our brand new publication providing strategic policy recommendations for the European People's Party addressing six key policy fields and be sure to check all our latest research papers!

After a short summer break, we hit the ground running in September. Our Executive Director Tomi Huhtanen wrote a blog discussing Ursula von der Leyen’s 2025 State of the Union address, while our Senior Research Officer Vít Novotný edited a research paper studying the flow of African migrants to Europe. 

As July slowly comes to an end, we are easing into our brief summer break! Before heading into the holidays though, we made sure to share with you our latest activities. This month we organised two in-house events; one focusing on the demography of war and another on China’s electric vehicle challenge to Europe.

Another month comes to an end, during which EU defence and the future of NATO were high on the agenda. Make sure to check our latest publication by Gerlinde Niehus analysing why Europeans in NATO and the EU must focus on what is needed to become a serious geostrategic actor and don’t miss our Research Officer, Ionela Ciolan, explaining how NATO could implement its 5% defence spending goal for CNBC TV18.  

May was another month marked by global tensions reshaping Europe's position. Don’t miss our experts’ commentary for Politico Europe, DW, Euronews and BARRON’s delving into [...]

April was all about the European People’s Party Congress in Valencia! Once again, the Martens Centre was part of the action with numerous panel discussions held during the 10th edition of Net@Work and sideline interviews with EPP leaders and policymakers.

In March, the European Commission unveiled its long-awaited White Paper on the Future of European Defence. The Martens Centre held an event with Commissioner Andrius Kubilius to present it and outline the next steps for the European Union and its Member States. Make sure to watch it here!

Despite being a short month, February was a tumultuous one full of significant events at the European and global levels. From the crucial federal elections in Germany to Trump’s latest moves, the political landscape is constantly changing, but what’s at stake for Europe?

In a special edition of Euronews’ ‘The Europe Conversation’, Klaus Welle discusses the future of Europe, tackling issues like the EU dynamics, Ukraine war, migration, social justice, misinformation and US-EU relations. Watch it here. Speaking of the United States, the return of President Trump brings new challenges and global changes.

As we're nearing the end of another eventful year, we are pleased to present to you our last newsletter of 2024, including a summary of all our activities during December. This month, we held our annual flagship event, the European Ideas Forum which took place in Brussels under the title “Europe’s Future in Focus”.

November was all about the confirmation of the new European Commission and the US elections! Don't miss the Chairman of the Martens Centre Academic Council, Klaus Welle, commenting on these topics for Euractiv & Euronews and read our latest blogs analysing what MAGA means for Europe. 

October was marked by crucial elections in Georgia and Moldova which showed the tough road ahead when it comes to EU enlargement. Head to our website to follow our experts' commentary on the topic and make sure to read the latest op-ed by our President Mikuláš Dzurinda, exploring the path to peace in Ukraine.  Don't miss our Executive Director, Tomi Huhtanen during Euronews’ TV talk show 'Brussels my Love?' [...]

September marked the start of a busy period after the summer recess which was dominated by political shifts, changes and the unveiling of the new European Commission portfolios. Our Policy Director Peter Hefele analysed in his latest piece for Euractiv what the East German elections mean for the future of democracy in the country[..]

With European elections and the race for the EU’s top jobs being the main highlights of this month, we are bringing you all the latest in this special post-election edition of our monthly newsletter. Make sure to read the interview by our President Mikuláš Dzurinda on the outcome of the elections and watch our interventions during Euronews European Elections night special.

Societal shifts and demographic changes pose another challenge for Europe and the future of the Union’s economic strength and social security. In May, we published the latest edition of our European View delving into the complexities of Europe’s demographic landscape. Read it here and check out the brand-new episode of our European View podcast with Steven Van Hecke analysing the [...]

April was all about our 7Ds for Sustainability project! Building on our efforts to contribute to future-proofing EU policy in various areas, this month we published our 7Ds In Depth focusing on debt, decarbonisation, defence, democracy, demography, de-risking globalisation, and digitalisation. Head to our website to read all 7 papers here!

In March, the European People’s Party Congress took place in Bucharest! The Martens Centre was part of the action with numerous panel discussions and sideline interviews featuring centre-right policymakers, experts, and private sector actors! In other news: This month we also published our '7Ds for Sustainability - Defence in Depth’ which brings together [...]

February brought the inaugural edition of the Global Synergy Conference! Featuring a global line-up of panelists from Asia to Latin America, the event was a truly global conversation about to how to unlock more sustainable realities. Head to our website to re-watch your favourite panels! In other news: Don't miss our Executive Director, Tomi Huhtanen [...]