EU-India Free Trade Agreement. At the start of 2026, the EU and India signed a free trade agreement, which has been seen as increasing cooperation between the two parties, particularly in economic cooperation and political ties. The trade agreement was finalised in New Delhi, India, on the 27th of January 2026, at the 16th summit…
An interview with Member of the European Parliament Raquel García Hermida-van der Walle (Renew Europe) about her experiences as an MEP, the European budget, Afghanistan, women’s rights, and democratic awareness. In 2024, a few days before the European Parliament (EP) elections, Shaping Europe spoke with Raquel García Hermida-van der Walle (D66, Netherlands). The politician of…
The legal protection of European languages. Europe is characterised by a wide regional diversity of peoples, cultures and histories. This diversity is reflected in the number of languages spoken across the continent. Over the centuries, countless languages have emerged, evolved and, in some cases, disappeared within Europe. Owing to the role of language as cultural…
Illuminating today’s political headlines using the concepts of Political Science. The second article in a series that opens up the conceptual toolkit of Political Science to make sense of today’s headlines, equipping readers with the discipline’s vocabulary to transform awareness of unfolding policy developments into analytical understanding of underlying political phenomena. August 23rd of each…
Illuminating today’s political headlines using the concepts of Political Science. The first article in a series that opens up the conceptual toolkit of Political Science to make sense of today’s headlines, equipping readers with the discipline’s vocabulary to transform awareness of unfolding policy developments into analytical understanding of underlying political phenomena. Migration is back in…
How misogynistic hate speech silences women’s voices. Within seconds after posting, the first comment appears: “Go back to the kitchen.” Then another message follows. By the end of the day, the notifications include insults about her appearance, death threats and messages revealing her address or the names of her kids. From dismissive comments to violent…
The wolf in the Benelux: between European protection and national pressure. In 1868, the last wolf in the Netherlands was killed. Almost a century and a half later, it is back. And with it, a debate that simply will not die down. Farmers are angry, nature organisations are cheering, and politicians are forced to take…
How the EU Uses Trade to Legally Structure Risk, Responsibility, and Policy Space. On May 1, 2026, the interim trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Mercosur provisionally entered into force. The referral to the Court of Justice is still pending. That is not a detail, but the crux of the matter. The EU-Mercosur…
Driving into Trouble: The Green Transition at Risk. From the green transition to Chinese competition, the European car market is going through one of its most challenging periods. The whole industry represents one of the cornerstones of the European economy, a sector that has shaped its identity since World War II and defined the economic…
The cultural boundaries that work like magic. As I boarded the train at Bern’s central station, my friend urged me into a window seat. “Just trust me,” he said. I picked a secluded spot in the corner of the carriage with a smaller window than the rest of the rows. This act of malicious compliance…
Recent articles
An interview with Member of the European Parliament Raquel García Hermida-van der Walle (Renew Europe) about her experiences as an MEP, the European budget, Afghanistan, women’s rights, and democratic awareness. In 2024, a few days before the European Parliament (EP) elections, Shaping Europe spoke with Raquel García Hermida-van der Walle (D66, Netherlands). The politician of…
The legal protection of European languages. Europe is characterised by a wide regional diversity of peoples, cultures and histories. This diversity is reflected in the number of languages spoken across the continent. Over the centuries, countless languages have emerged, evolved and, in some cases, disappeared within Europe. Owing to the role of language as cultural…
Illuminating today’s political headlines using the concepts of Political Science. The second article in a series that opens up the conceptual toolkit of Political Science to make sense of today’s headlines, equipping readers with the discipline’s vocabulary to transform awareness of unfolding policy developments into analytical understanding of underlying political phenomena. August 23rd of each…
EUidentity
The legal protection of European languages. Europe is characterised by a wide regional diversity of peoples, cultures and histories. This diversity is reflected in the number of languages spoken across the continent. Over the centuries, countless languages have emerged, evolved and, in some cases, disappeared within Europe. Owing to the role of language as cultural…
Illuminating today’s political headlines using the concepts of Political Science. The second article in a series that opens up the conceptual toolkit of Political Science to make sense of today’s headlines, equipping readers with the discipline’s vocabulary to transform awareness of unfolding policy developments into analytical understanding of underlying political phenomena. August 23rd of each…
How does the EU operates as the invisible infrastructure of our daily lives? All characters in this article are fictional and created by the authors. Any resemblance to real persons, living or deceased, is purely coincidental. 27 countries. Almost 450 million inhabitants, accounting for 5.5% of the world’s population. A budget of 2 trillion euros.…
Countries and Regions
Illuminating today’s political headlines using the concepts of Political Science. The second article in a series that opens up the conceptual toolkit of Political Science to make sense of today’s headlines, equipping readers with the discipline’s vocabulary to transform awareness of unfolding policy developments into analytical understanding of underlying political phenomena. August 23rd of each…
Illuminating today’s political headlines using the concepts of Political Science. The first article in a series that opens up the conceptual toolkit of Political Science to make sense of today’s headlines, equipping readers with the discipline’s vocabulary to transform awareness of unfolding policy developments into analytical understanding of underlying political phenomena. Migration is back in…
The wolf in the Benelux: between European protection and national pressure. In 1868, the last wolf in the Netherlands was killed. Almost a century and a half later, it is back. And with it, a debate that simply will not die down. Farmers are angry, nature organisations are cheering, and politicians are forced to take…
Human Rights and Equality
An interview with Member of the European Parliament Raquel García Hermida-van der Walle (Renew Europe) about her experiences as an MEP, the European budget, Afghanistan, women’s rights, and democratic awareness. In 2024, a few days before the European Parliament (EP) elections, Shaping Europe spoke with Raquel García Hermida-van der Walle (D66, Netherlands). The politician of…
The legal protection of European languages. Europe is characterised by a wide regional diversity of peoples, cultures and histories. This diversity is reflected in the number of languages spoken across the continent. Over the centuries, countless languages have emerged, evolved and, in some cases, disappeared within Europe. Owing to the role of language as cultural…
Illuminating today’s political headlines using the concepts of Political Science. The second article in a series that opens up the conceptual toolkit of Political Science to make sense of today’s headlines, equipping readers with the discipline’s vocabulary to transform awareness of unfolding policy developments into analytical understanding of underlying political phenomena. August 23rd of each…