Inside Europe

EU Project Management Training

20/11/2019

Training Overview Vocal Europe , - a Brussels based Think Tank, has been training young professionals via structured trainings and mentorship programs to empower them with competences that would facilitate the... Be More Curious...

POLICY PAPER | Europe’s defence: between EI2 and PESCO

Dimitra Koutouzi

27/10/2019

Inside Europe, Publications

The European Union has been trying for many years to establish a single Defence Union. The first attempt of a closer defence cooperation between the member states was in 1998 with the Saint-Malo Joint Dec... Be More Curious...

COMMENTARY | The ‘European way of life’: stuck between values and reality?

Jill van Coppenolle

24/10/2019

Inside Europe, Publications

On 10 September 2019, President-elect Ursula von der Leyen, presented the names and portfolios of her new Commission, which includes several “slightly original and bizarre” job titles such as “An Economy that Works for People” and “Protecting the Europea... Be More Curious...

PANEL | Artificial Intelligence and the Future of EU Diplomacy

16/09/2019

Events, Inside Europe

Vocal Europe hosted an event on AI and its implications for diplomacy and EU foreign policy on the 8th October 2019. Organised as a panel discussion, the invited speakers brought up a variety of important... Be More Curious...

Monday Talk with Manon Aubry on the Current Challenges Europe Is Facing

Matthias Peschke

16/09/2019

As part of our Monday Talks series, which is supported by Science 14, we are talking to MEP Manon Aubry who is the co-chair for the European United Left and Nordic Green Left. Besides her vision for Europ... Be More Curious...

COMMENTARY | Reflection on the Results of the European Elections and a Forecast for Europe’s Future

Carey Bennington

25/06/2019

Inside Europe, Publications

The recent European elections have shed an informative light on the state of politics both within individual member states and in the wider European sphere. There has been a rise in voter turnout in most EU countries, some by quite significant amounts. S... Be More Curious...

Interview with Prof. Dirk Rochtus on Politics in Belgium

Carey Bennington

19/06/2019

As part of our interview series supported by Science 14, we have talked to Dirk Rochtus, a Professor of Political Science at Catholic Leuven University, and member of Vocal Europe's Advisory Board. Among ... Be More Curious...

OPINION | 2019 European Elections enlarged the gap between globalists and nationalists

Ana-Maria Caminski

05/06/2019

Out of its global view, Europe and not only is facing with new tendencies in the effort to conserve his heritage. A nationalistic view situated in opposition with the predominant vision of globalists have... Be More Curious...

British Politicking Puts Us All At Risk

05/06/2019

Rather than these EU elections being used to promote genuine, positive participation on a European level as they are across the continent, within the U.K. these elections are instead being misrepresented to voters, and sadly being used to settle domestic... Be More Curious...

The Looming Spectre of the 2.0 Nuclearization and the European Union

13/04/2019

Inside Europe, Publications

The row between the US and Russia over the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Force (INF) Treaty began in July 2014, when the US State Department published a Compliance Report, alleging “that the Russian Federati... Be More Curious...

Why you should be prepared for a No-Deal Brexit

04/04/2019

Inside Europe, Publications

Chaos. Simply googling the word will quickly land you on a Brexit news article — the majority of which are now detailing several reasons as to why you should be prepared for a No-Deal Brexit. Reasons rang... Be More Curious...

Migration crisis: the worst might still come?

Jose Diogo Alves

28/03/2019

Inside Europe, Publications

The European migrant crisis, which had its start in 2013 with the arrival of an exceptionally large number of migrants and refugees in Europe, was characterized by the greatest mass displacement of individuals since the Second World War. Earlier in Marc... Be More Curious...

The 2019 European elections: will populist anti-migration alliances prove to be real alliances?

Stephanie Leysen

15/03/2019

Inside Europe, Publications

On 26 May 2019 citizens all over Europe will head to the ballot box to cast their vote for the European Parliament (EP) elections. The European Parliament is the only transnational parliament in the wor... Be More Curious...

The 2019 European Elections: A Trial to Macron’s Leadership

Jose Diogo Alves

01/03/2019

Inside Europe, Publications

Between the 23rd and the 26th of May, the European Union will have one of the most important elections in its history. In a time of political instability and strong nationalist movements, parties are de... Be More Curious...

Italian Politics — which way to the European elections?

Alessio Tardivo

02/02/2019

The Italian electoral campaign for the European elections in May finally started and the latest projections on the topic have generated a turmoil in the country. According to Europe Elects, Salvini’s League is expected to be the first political for... Be More Curious...

Public say for far-right, the Trojan horse

Vicky Pathiakaki

18/01/2019

The rise of far-right has brought to the forefront the debate about whether such ideas should or not have a public say and as to whether they should occupy public space and time. Many even argue that if... Be More Curious...

What are universities for in an era of authoritarianism?

Zeynep Mentesoglu

16/01/2019

“This is unprecedented. A U.S. institution has been driven out of a country that is a NATO ally. A European institution has been ousted from a member state of the EU” stated the CEU president Mich... Be More Curious...

The Battle for Europe: Europe in 2019

12/01/2019

2019 is shaping up to be an exciting, if worrisome, year for Europe. While everything seems to be slowing down in preparation for the eventual hand-over of institutional positions, time never stands still on the continent, and there are many things hap... Be More Curious...

OPINION — Why is tension in Cyprus rising again?

Tionenji Lishomwa

27/12/2018

Inside Europe, Turkey

For much of the international community watching, ‘Ayşe will go on holiday again’ means very little. Especially if 1974 is before your time, you may have wondered what such a bizarrely innocuous phrase ... Be More Curious...

OPINION — Spanish banks and Supreme Court at work: housing bubble under construction

24/12/2018

Business, Inside Europe

The lack of independence of the judiciary system, its sloppy performance, as well as the lack of control of rent increases by the successive governments, remain rampant in Spain. All of these are exemp... Be More Curious...

OPINION — VOX: the ultra-right enters the political game in Spain

Alejandra Finotto

20/12/2018

Given the ascent of ultra-right political parties such as the “Rassemblement National” led by Le Pen in France, or the “Lega Nord” headed by Salvini in Italy, many were wondering why this kind of movement had not yet arrived in their neighboring countr... Be More Curious...

OPINION — Where Hungary’s future lies

Leonardo Veneziani

19/12/2018

The fall of the Berlin Wall and of the Soviet Union, in 1989 and 1991 respectively, were a sign of fate. From that moment on, a large part of Europe was finally free from despotism and tyranny that went... Be More Curious...

COMMENTARY — As Soros University leaves Hungary, so does academic freedom

15/12/2018

Inside Europe, Publications

On 3 December 2018, Hungary’s Central European University (CEU) declared that it has been forced out from its campus in Budapest by the far-right government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The decisi... Be More Curious...

Brexit: the never-ending story continues

11/12/2018

Theresa May had hoped that 11 December 2018 would become a historic day, where her parliament would vote to pass the Withdrawal Agreement, signalling the end of Britain’s participation within the European Union, and cementing her as the Prime Minister... Be More Curious...

Huge disparities in European breast cancer care shown by new index

11/12/2018

With nearly 100,000 women lose their life to breast cancer every year in the European Union it is the most lethal cancer diagnosis for women in the EU. And while health systems of the 28 differ... Be More Curious...

Forget enlargement. First, the EU needs a ‘war on corruption’ to stave off extreme nationalism

10/12/2018

Since the Schuman and Europe Declarations in 1950 and 1951 respectively, it has been the stated aim of the EU to strengthen democracy amongst its members. The EU is, contrary to sceptical or reductio... Be More Curious...

OPINION — Democracy under Threat? The Future of Democracy in the European Union

03/12/2018

Last week East-Flanders' Europe Direct Information Centre hosted a lively debate about the future of the European Union. Senior transatlantic fellow of the German Marshall Fund Rosa Balfour and Fidesz MEP Györgi Schöpflin confronted each other on what ... Be More Curious...

REPORT — High Level Conference, 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

01/12/2018

Inside Europe, Publications

On 20 November 2018, the European Parliament (EP) held a High Level Conference to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The Conference launched the EP’s... Be More Curious...

COMMENTARY — Brexit: a promising agreement for Northern Ireland but many challenges ahead

28/11/2018

Inside Europe, Publications

The recently published withdrawal agreement spells the beginning of the end for Brexit. Theresa May and the EU believe the agreement is the best outcome resulting from the EU-UK negotiations. This 585-p... Be More Curious...

COMMENTARY — European army: a problematic dream?

27/11/2018

Inside Europe, Publications

The concept of a European army has been widely discussed in the past years and particularly weeks, raising many questions about the possibility of such an idea becoming a reality. Where did the notion of a European army come from, and why is it bei... Be More Curious...

Brexit threatens to turn EU’s divide into an unbridgeable chasm

15/11/2018

Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament’s chief Brexit negotiator, recently wrote an article condemning those “mini-Trumps” who are driven, not by genuine desire for reform, but “power and personal enric... Be More Curious...

80 years after Kristallnacht — A new wave of anti-semitism in Europe

Xavier Ruiz Trullols

08/11/2018

Pittsburgh attack proved why we can’t ignore anti-Semitism. The Anti-Defamation League warned that there was an increase of anti-Semitic incidents in the United States in 2017 compared to the previous y... Be More Curious...

POLICY PAPER — The power of Article 7: Protection of European values or punishment tool? An analysis of the Polish case

29/10/2018

Inside Europe, Publications

Article 2 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) defines the EU as founded on the values of “respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minoriti... Be More Curious...

The Threats from Within: Road to the 2019 EU Elections

24/10/2018

The elections are approaching. On 23-26 May 2019, the citizens of the European Union will be called to vote for their representatives in the European Parliament. The elections take place every five year... Be More Curious...

Nigel Farage Pleads for a Europe of Sovereign Nation-States

12/10/2018

Listen the entire speech by Nigel Farage Two weeks ago, Nigel Farage was invited by the Flemish nationalist and conservative student association KVHV to give a guest lecture at Ghent University, Belg... Be More Curious...

EU-movie quotas are cultural protectionism

10/10/2018

The European Parliament calls for a 30 per cent mandatory quota of European productions for audiovisual content providers, surpassing the Commission's suggested 20 per cent. We have to call this proposal what it is: cultural protectionism. All too o... Be More Curious...

Franco’s will

09/10/2018

It has become customary in Spain, whenever a so-called socialist cabinet starts its new mandate, to approve some eye-catching law. In this way, the new government always looks more liberal than the prev... Be More Curious...

Riace case: Are pro-migrant authorities under attack?

Zeynep Mentesoglu

08/10/2018

Inside Europe, Society

"What will all the do-gooders who want to fill Italy with immigrants say now?" wwrote Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini referring to the arrest of Domenico Lucano, known by his migrant frie... Be More Curious...

Was it a coup d’état on 10 August 2018, in Victory square, Bucharest?

Ana-Maria Caminski

06/10/2018

After more than a month, the military prosecutors did not make light in the opened file for vandalism acts that took place in the night of 10 August 2018, in Bucharest. Who bears the responsibility for the violence which left behind more than four hund... Be More Curious...

Kicking out at Britain won’t save the European Court of Human Rights

01/10/2018

Five years after Edward Snowden released his incendiary cache of documents, the mass surveillance programme run by Britain’s GCHQ has been deemed illegal by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). In... Be More Curious...

The reasons why the EU mustn’t be gentle on Climate Change

Richard Senneville

30/09/2018

American cellular biologist, college professor and politician Barry Commoner claimed that the first law of ecology is that everything is connected to everything else. It took decades for the environment... Be More Curious...

As Europeans, we are living in a unique experiment that we should be proud of

Vladan Lausevic

30/09/2018

Five years ago Croatia became EU's 28th member-state. The accession process was seen as in important step for the Balkan region and the “Ex-Yugoslav area” to become Europeanized. One interesting thing was that Croatia’s accession in fact was in cont... Be More Curious...

Following an Illiberal Path: Dragnea and Romania’s Judiciary Reforms

Xavier Palacios

30/09/2018

The latest demonstrations that took place in Romania this last summer have showed that the figure of Liviu Dragnea is polarising Romanian society. As in other cases of power accumulation in political fi... Be More Curious...

The EU should embrace Allan Savory’s Holistic Management in its sustainable development policy

Richard Senneville

30/09/2018

There is a much bigger problem than global warming that humanity must overcome: changing mindset is the biggest challenge in all cultures and societies. When we think about the causes of global warming we... Be More Curious...

Germany is delaying the adoption of the “Google tax”, and that’s a good thing

25/09/2018

Business, Inside Europe

While France and Spain are heavily lobbying for the adoption of a "GAFA" tax (Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple), also known as "Google tax", Germany has chosen a more careful approach. Rightfully so. French finance minister Bruno Le Maire began hi... Be More Curious...

Is the European Arrest Warrant Becoming a Political Tool?

25/09/2018

All opinions in this column reflect view of the autor(s), not of Vocal Europe The saga of one of the European Union’s most problematic policies took an unusual turn late last month with an EU judicial ... Be More Curious...

Will a European Plastics Ban really help the Environment?

22/09/2018

Over the course of this year, it seems as though the debate on environmental protection has greatly shifted to the issue of plastics, namely the effects of ill-disposed of waste on marine life. This... Be More Curious...

The lady’s not for turning

21/09/2018

Theresa May’s disastrous participation in the Salzburg summit was evidently fresh in her memory. She was described as having “showed too much arrogance” in a miscalculation similar to David Cameron, had her plans ridiculed, and had been openly mocked b... Be More Curious...

Fighting Online Terrorist Speech

20/09/2018

William Echikson, a former senior policy manager at Google, is head of the Digital Forum at the Centre for European Policy Studies. David Ibsen is Executive Director for the Counter Extremism Project (CE... Be More Curious...

Why they just don’t get it

20/09/2018

Another suffocatingly hot day in the Palace of Westminster and another all-party parliamentary group meet in committee to discuss Brexit. Stephen Kinnock, Labour MP for Aberavon and Chairman of the All-... Be More Curious...