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In recent decades, the digital information sphere has become the public space for debate: the place where people access information, and form and express opinions. Over the past 10 years, global information ecosystems have also increasingly become geostrategic battlegrounds. Authoritarian state actors are testing and fine-tuning techniques to manipulate public opinion and foment divisions and tension, to undermine democratic societies and open democracy as a system. At the same time, the geostrategic ...

Respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights is a core value of the European Union (EU), and one that is promoted through its policies. The European Parliament's Sakharov Prize honours the work of people who stand up for these freedoms and rights. This year's Sakharov Prize is to be awarded to María Corina Machado, leader of Venezuela's democratic forces, and President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia. They represent all Venezuelans both inside and outside the country who are fighting to restore ...

Building a European defence union is at the top of the EU's policy agenda. It is essential to preserving the security and wellbeing of EU society from current and future geopolitical threats. A reflection on the efficiency and quality of defence spending is a crucial first step in this process. Based on research carried out for the European Parliamentary Research Service, this report investigates the potential gains from deeper European cooperation on defence spending that leverages the continent's ...

There are a number of micro-states in western Europe that do not belong to the EU: the Holy See, the Principality of Andorra, the Principality of Liechtenstein, the Principality of Monaco and the Republic of San Marino. While they exhibit differences in terms of geography, population, language, and institutional and political structure, they have close relations with EU Member States based on shared history, and political and cultural affinities. Moreover, they are like-minded partners in foreign ...

Since the downfall of the authoritarian General Suharto in 1998, a series of reforms have transformed Indonesia into the world's fourth largest democracy (and largest Muslim democracy). The country has a presidential system in which a directly elected president serves as head of both state and government. A two-term limit on the presidency helps to ensure a peaceful alternation of power. Also directly elected, Indonesia's House of Representatives (the lower house of the two chambers of parliament ...

The EU and Switzerland are important trading partners and close-minded partners in foreign affairs. They also have very strong ties through a range of bilateral agreements and Switzerland has been associated with several EU policies relating to the internal market, the Schengen agreement, the Dublin system for dealing with asylum claims and the EU's research and mobility programmes. Between 2014 and 2021, the EU and Switzerland negotiated an institutional framework agreement, which would have further ...

Leaders met in Rio de Janeiro on 18-19 November 2024 for the 19th summit of the G20, hosted by the Brazilian G20 presidency. The meeting was overshadowed by events that are further increasing divisions among the world's leading and emerging economies: Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, which entered its 1 000th day, the escalating conflict in the Middle East, and the election to a second term of President Donald Trump, whose 'America First' approach to foreign policy includes threats to ...

The European electric vehicle (EV) industry is facing fierce competition from China. The question is what this will mean for the future of European EVs. This paper provides an overview of EU-China competition in this industry and presents four scenarios for the future of European EVs by 2030. Will European EVs survive, thrive or perish in the face of Chinese competition and other challenges?

On 24 October 2023, the coordinators of the Committee on Development (DEVE) requested a study on implementation of policy coherence for development (PCD) in selected legislation. This ex-post evaluation seeks to support the PCD standing rapporteur's work and the DEVE committee's newly formed PCD Network. The focus of the study is how and to what extent PCD has been implemented in internal and external EU policies to support poverty reduction (and eradication) and development cooperation. The first ...

A sharp deterioration in the population's health, as well as in healthcare systems, is often the consequence of armed conflicts, natural hazards or human-made disasters, of which there have been many in recent times. The European Union (EU), a significant global humanitarian player, views health as an essential part of its assistance.