In recent years, Europe has witnessed a notable surge in the popularity and influence of populist radical right parties. This trend has been particularly evident in the 2024 elections for the European Parliament, where this party-family has secured significant victories, reflecting a broader shift in the political landscape across the continent. One of the most […]

This blog post summarises the contribution I submitted for the UACES 2024 Graduate Forum held this June in Amsterdam. I want to thank UACES for having organised and provided funds for attending this event!   Human rights constitute the core values of the European Union, enforceable both internally and externally. Through the Amsterdam Treaty-consolidated acquis […]

This article is based on research presented at the UACES Graduate Forum Conference 2024 and is anticipated to be published in a journal article currently undergoing evaluation. The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine has reignited interest in EU enlargement, presenting new opportunities for (pre-)accession candidates. While much attention is often given to the Council and […]

In June 2024, I had the opportunity to attend the UACES Graduate Forum held at the Vreie Universiteit Amsterdam, in part thanks to UACES’ funding support for early career researchers attending such activities. PhD students often face limited funding, which significantly impacts their ability to attend academic workshops, seminars, and conferences—events that are crucial for […]

Many analysts attribute the rise of the far right across Europe to what has been coined a “green back-lash” also known as “green-lash”, whereby citizens blame climate & environmental policies for increasing the cost of living. The EU’s policies did not escape this new political reality. This resentment has been tapped into by parties stressing […]

Abstract This blog post explores the transformative trajectory of European Union’s (EU) innovation policies through the lens of three major pan-European innovation policy milestones since 2010: the Innovation Union (IU), Horizon 2020 (2014-2020) and Horizon Europe (2021-2025). The exposition argues that there has been a transition towards increasingly more comprehensive policy frameworks, which aim to […]

The issue of the perception of the European Union (EU) in the North Caucasus deserves special attention. This region, which includes the republics of Dagestan, Chechnya, and Ingushetia, has unique ethnic, cultural, and political characteristics. Unlike other regions of Russia, where ethnic Russians dominate, the North Caucasus is a microcosm where official and unofficial discourses […]