Newsletter

February 24th marked a sad anniversary for Europe as one year passed since Russian forces rolled into Ukraine. But what has a year of war revealed so far and what we should expect next? Klaus Welle, former Secretary-General of the European Parliament and member of the Martens Centre Academic Council, delved into these questions in an op-ed for […]

With the Russian war entering its second calendar year, questions regarding the outcome of the conflict and its implications for the EU and Ukraine still dominate in the EU. In an op-ed for Politico, our Senior Research Officer Eoin Drea claims that the EU is leading Ukraine into a sovereign debt crisis while in his latest Martens Centre blog, Garvan Walshe explains […]

2022 was another tumultuous year of perma-crisis marked by various important events impacting Europe, from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to the inflation and energy crises. During the month of December, we held two events, one in cooperation with Foreign Policy Magazine focusing on the rise of authoritarianism and the future of democracy, and another on countering Russia’s disinformation […]

The 13th edition of the European Ideas Forum concluded this November, featuring a live audience for the first time since 2019. Titled ‘Reshaping Europe Through Crises’, this year’s EIF was yet another successful meeting of policymakers, industry leaders and academics over two days of panel discussions and interviews.

Eight months have passed since Russia launched its large-scale invasion of Ukraine, but the war seems to be entering a new phase of escalation as winter approaches. Our Executive Director, Tomi Huhtanen, penned an op-ed for Euractiv, explaining why it is necessary to seize Russian central bank assets to safeguard Ukraine’s future, while an IN BRIEF publication analyses how the […]

Earlier this month, the annual State of the Union speech delivered by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled the EU’s main political priorities for the next working year, with Ukraine and the energy crisis as focal points. Our Executive Director Tomi Huhtanen penned an op-ed on how the war in Ukraine is forcing Europe to […]

As temperatures rise and everyone heads on summer holidays, Russia’s aggression continues to unfold in Ukraine, driving inflation higher and foreshadowing a harsh winter for Europe. In our latest Policy Brief, we present a strategy for the EU’s relations with a hypothetical future, democratic Russia. Read it here! In other news:Don’t miss our interview with the Ambassador of the Taipei Representative Office in the EU […]

June was another eventful month with Ukraine and Moldova being granted EU candidate status, and the G7 and NATO Summits taking centre stage! Our Senior Research Associate Jamie Shea wrote a Policy Brief on what we should expect from NATO’s new Strategic Concept, while our Senior Research Officer Dimitar Lilkov gave an interview during Al Jazeera’s news bulletin commenting […]

This month the European People’s Party Congress took place in Rotterdam and the Martens Centre was part of the action! Under the umbrella topic ‘United for Europe’, our sideline event featured numerous panel discussions and interviews with centre-right policymakers, experts, and private sector actors providing a platform for dynamic debates and exchange of ideas. Watch it here! […]

April was another eventful month, with the conflict in Ukraine entering a new phase and national elections in Europe providing a significant stress test for the EU’s future. In an exclusive interview for our new Thinking Talks episode, the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola discusses the challenges of the Ukraine war and its implications for […]

Over a month has passed since Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. Now, a number of political and economic consequences are already challenging Europe and its future. During the month of March, we analysed the Russo-Ukrainian war and its implications through a series of op-eds, blog posts, and in-depth discussions during the latest Thinking Talks and Come Together episodes. Don’t miss our [...]

February was marked by a dark moment in Europe's history: Russia's invasion of Ukraine, leading to sharp condemnations from EU and US leaders. Our President Mikuláš Dzurinda wrote an op-ed analysing how the Kremlin’s provocations are a test to EU principles and resilience, while our Executive Director Tomi Huhtanen focused on the impact of Ukraine’s war on [...]

January was marked by tensions over the Russia – Ukraine crisis, with our Executive Director Tomi Huhtanen reflecting on the matter in his latest blog post. The crisis in Ukraine and the challenges it poses to the EU was also the topic of discussion in this month’s Come Together episode with Michael Gahler and Constantine Arvanitopoulos. […]

Although 2021 was anything but normal, that didn’t stop us from keeping busy! This month, we organised three online events on a collection of topics; if you’re curious about the future of European defence, transatlantic relations and the EU-US Trade and Technology Council, or the implications of inflation on Europe’s recovery, we’ve got you covered! In the latest Vital Questions, our […]

The first draft of the highly anticipated ‘Strategic Compass’ was presented in November, drawing attention to one main question: is it pointing in the right direction? Our Senior Research Officer Niklas Nováky penned an op-ed that gives you all the answers and also commented on the matter for Deutsche Welle. In the second episode of Thinking Talks, Maria Spyraki MEP shares […]

The EPP Congress takes place in Rotterdam in less than 3 weeks and the Martens Centre will be part of the action with debates, panel discussions, and other activities focusing on the Future of Europe; be sure to join us there or online and follow the conversation on social media at #ΤhinkingTogether! In other news: This month, […]

As every year in September, the State of the Union address was delivered by Commission President von der Leyen, taking stock of past achievements and presenting new priorities. Our Executive Director Tomi Huhtanen wrote a blog post explaining why this year’s speech reflects a desire for the EU to become a true global player! [...]

The 11th Transatlantic Think Tank Conference took place digitally this month, in cooperation with the Hudson Institute, via two closed-door sessions and, for the first time ever, a public panel titled “Democracy vs. autocracy and the great-power showdown”. Over two days of impactful conversation, North American and European politicians, think tankers, and experts were all brought together to […]

The 12th edition of the European Ideas Forum returned this June in a hybrid format, under the topic “A Roaring Twenties for Europe? Crises and Opportunities in the Post-Pandemic Age”. Over two days of content-rich discussions and dynamic debates, high-level speakers ranging from EU officials, national legislators, influential stakeholders, and experts from the business sector, came […]

The long-awaited kick-off event of the Conference on the Future of Europe took place this month, on Europe Day, paving the way to a series of discussions about the EU’s future. In the first episode of our new initiative #ComeTogether in cooperation with the European People’s Party, we talked about this topic, while our President, Mikuláš Dzurinda, asked […]

NET@WORK, the largest European gathering of centre-right political foundations, took place digitally this month, in cooperation with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, the Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung, and the Political Academy of the Austrian People's Party. ‘Preserving our European House – Healing our Societies’ was the umbrella topic of our 4-day event.