As we enter 2025 with the imminent return of US President-elect Donald Trump to the White House and war still raging in Ukraine, we asked members of our network who are actively engaged in their domestic politics what the defence and security priorities for their country or party should be for the year ahead.
As Germany enters early elections following the erosion of Olaf Scholz’s coalition, ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El is joined by Tanit Koch, journalist, co-host of the Focus Briefing and former editor-in-chief of the popular BILD, for a discussion of the problems facing Germany in terms of its economic ills, political divisions, and the rise of populist extremism.
The Western Balkans stands at a critical juncture as several states grapple with increasingly authoritarian political environments that threaten their democratic institutions and legal frameworks. In this new report, Dr Leon Hartwell provides an in-depth analysis of parliamentary oversight in seven Western Balkan states – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia – and offers actionable recommendations for these states, the EU, and NATO to address these challenges.
Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine is in its third year, with no end in sight. The Russian offensive in the East of Ukraine grinds on, consuming a mass of men and material on both sides while its conquest proceeds in tiny paces. To get a deep insight into what is happening on the ground, ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El is joined by Lisa Yaskow, Member of the Ukrainian Rada (parliament) and Head of the Ukrainian delegation to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. In a frank and revealing conversation, Lisa reflects on the war from its start, the daily reality in Ukraine, and the shortcomings of the international community.
In July 2024, the ELN convened a group of international experts to explore the historic, current, and future role of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and its toolbox in maintaining and strengthening European security architecture. This workshop report details the participants’ discussions on the OSCE’s history, its operations in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014, the role of the OSCE in conflict management and post-conflict normalisation, organisational successes and failures, and its unique status as a platform for dialogue between the West and Russia.
Today, the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act comes into force. NEVER member and Digital Policy Consultant Julie Lübken argues that the EU’s AI Act, pre-dating similar efforts to regulate AI in the UK and the US, could lay the groundwork for global AI governance. She writes that the legislation should also mark the start of a discussion with other countries, such as China, for a worldwide effort, engaging with policymakers, businesses, and civil society, to better understand AI, harness its potential and mitigate risk.