The brief delivers a sharp critique of the EU’s regulatory machine and lands on an awkward conclusion – Europe’s problem is no longer lack of ambition, but too much poorly controlled lawmaking. Brussels keeps piling on rules in the name of protection, fairness and strategy. The result is a regulatory thicket that slows growth, scares investment and weakens Europe’s ability to compete. The paper argues that “better regulation” has become a slogan masking systemic failure.

The analysis warns that Washington’s hardening “Donroe Doctrine” has now reached the Arctic – and Europe is not ready for the consequences. What once felt like a remote, cooperative space is turning into a theatre of power politics where the United States moves first and sets terms. The piece argues that Europe’s Arctic influence is thinning fast as American priorities tighten and security logic crowds out partnership.

The commentary delivers a sobering security forecast for 2026 and makes one thing clear – Europe is entering a year of elevated danger with little margin for error. Conflict risks are multiplying on Europe’s borders and beyond, while the EU’s ability to shape events remains limited. The piece argues that this is no longer about isolated crises. It is about a crowded threat landscape where several conflicts could escalate at once and stretch Europe’s attention, resources and unity.

The analysis exposes an uncomfortable truth behind Europe’s green ambitions – the clean tech transition is increasingly being powered, shaped and captured by Chinese joint ventures on European soil. What is sold as cooperation and investment masks a deeper loss of control. The piece argues that Europe is repeating an old mistake: welcoming foreign capital to fix industrial weakness, then realising too late who owns the future.

The commentary delivers a pointed claim that stings in European capitals – as Donald Trump enters 2026, he looks more decisive on Europe’s future than Europe’s own leaders. While Brussels debates processes and Berlin hesitates, Trump acts, signals and sets terms. The piece argues that Europe’s leadership vacuum has become so visible that an American outsider once again fills the space by default.

The analysis takes a hard look at Germany’s social policy record under the traffic light coalition and finds a reform agenda that promised change but delivered hesitation. Big pledges on fairness, protection and modernisation collided with budget limits, coalition infighting and a slowing economy. The piece argues that social policy has become reactive and fragmented, leaving Germany exposed as pressures mount.

The commentary drills into the financial side of Germany’s Zeitenwende and finds a transformation running out of steam. Berlin promised a historic break with the past. What it delivered instead is a tangled funding model full of stopgaps, loopholes and looming shortfalls. The paper argues that Germany’s defence awakening is real in intent, but brittle in execution – and money is where it starts to unravel.