The Japan-US currency deal could do more harm than good

In late July, Japan and the US intervened jointly to prop up a yen at its weakest since 1986. It looked decisive. Within a month, half the gains were gone, the yen was sliding again, and the underlying causes remained untouched. This piece examines why the intervention was never likely to work, what it cost Japan in reserves, fiscal leverage, and policy independence, and what it means that Washington funded its share by quietly sidelining the European Central Bank.

Australia’s Association with Horizon Europe and the EU’s Growing External Projection in Oceania

Australia’s association with Horizon Europe represents a remarkable result for the EU’s science diplomacy and strengthens the EU’s projection in Oceania. Depending on its implementation, Horizon Europe could support the transformation of bilateral agreements into a coherent regional approach.

Svalbard Islands: From Moby-Dick to Resource Exploitation. The Legal Struggle for Sovereignty and Strategic Position

The Svalbard Islands lie in a critical maritime corridor between the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean, making it strategically significant for both Europe and global powers. Historically shaped by whaling, hunting, and trapping, Svalbard later became a center for coal mining, science, and tourism. Today, it remains a hybrid space of cooperation and geopolitical tension, increasingly influenced by Russia, Norway, and broader Arctic competition involving global actors such as China.

Italy – Türkiye and the Double Logic of Defence Cooperation

A reflection on the Italy-Turkey defence related dependencies. Interdepence has seemingly become the normal condition of modern statehood. The question is never really whether to be dependent, but on whom, on what terms, and with what degree of awareness about what you are trading away.

Türkiye and NATO – Europe’s Future Security

The Ankara NATO summit exposed a central dilemma for European security. Türkiye is a powerful NATO ally, Black Sea gatekeeper and growing defence producer, yet remains only partly integrated into Europe’s defence-industrial architecture. As Europe rearms, Ankara’s role becomes harder to ignore and harder to resolve.

Switzerland’s population cap referendum, the vote, campaign, and its implications explained.

Was this vote potentially Switzerland’s almost ‘Brexit moment’? Swiss voters rejected a proposal to cap the total population at 10 million. Had it passed it would’ve had implications for its relations with the EU. Ultimately while unique to Switzerland’s politics, the overarching issue on immigration and identity isn’t solely constrained to it, therein being lessons for other European states.

[Analysis] 10 years since the Brexit vote, its lasting effect on British politics and the UK-EU relationship.

10 years on, Brexit continues to shape British politics and the UK-EU relationship. Post-Brexit global events have pushed the parties closer together however many obstacles obstruct the possibility of Britain rejoining anytime soon.

The Drone at the Dock: Europe’s Ports Are Becoming Security Frontlines

A naval drone incident near Romania’s Port of Constanța turned into a symbol of Europe’s changing security landscape. This analysis argues that ports are no longer only commercial gateways, but strategic nodes where trade, energy, military mobility, cyber risk and hybrid threats meet. Using Constanța as an example, the article explores how the EU’s new port-security agenda reflects a wider shift in European security thinking.

Europe’s AI Infrastructure Challenge: Beyond Foreign Clouds

Europe wants to become an AI power, but ambition requires more than regulation. It requires compute. As the EU expands its data centres, cloud infrastructure and semiconductor capabilities, it faces a difficult balance between technological autonomy, global competition and the physical limits of AI development.