Category: European Public Policy

European Integration, European Public Policy, Uncategorized

The deficit and debt limits of the European Union and the consequences for the policy stability of the member states

Photo: Nelson Ndongala | Unsplash Guest Author: Maurice Leipnitz Maurice is a recent Master’s graduate from the University of Amsterdam, specialising in political economy, finance, and fiscal policy. Drawing on his Bachelor’s thesis and recent heterodox critiques of EU fiscal rules, he develops a novel framework to visualise their impact on domestic politics. Introduction With the Treaty of Maastricht, the European Community (EC) undoubtedly took one of the biggest steps in its history towards European integration and the European Union (EU) as we know it today.[1] At the heart of […]

European Public Policy

Restoring Bicameralism in Belgium

Photo: Marius Badstuber | Unsplash Guest Author: Stephen Chilimidos Stephen is a policy fellow at the European Nations and Regions Organisation in Vienna. A recent graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, he focuses on comparative politics and innovation programs. In this article, he addresses the decline of the senate as a meaningful legislative body in Belgium, while advocating for strengthening its powers to improve national unity and governance. Introduction Belgium is one of the most decentralized federal systems in the world. This structure developed gradually over the past […]

European Public Policy

Evolving youth political engagement: implications for democratic landscapes over two decades

Photo: Ronan Furuta | Unsplash Guest Author: Maria Grigolia Maria Grigolia is studying Political Science and Law at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) in Munich. Her interests include comparative political science, and public international law, with a focus on climate change. In this article, she explores examples of non-traditional political engagement, such as digital activism in Hong Kong and the Fridays for Future protest movement in Western European democracies, to examine their impact on the evolving political landscape of political participation in democracies.   Active participation in politics is a cornerstone of […]

European Public Policy, Guest Articles

A Critical View on the Treatment of Pushback Allegations by Greek Authorities and the Detention of Asylum Seekers

Photo: Mika Baumeister | Unsplash Guest Author: Ann-Kathrin Grunwald Ann-Kathrin Grunwald studies Law at the University of Bonn with a special interest in European law, international human rights law, and Asylum law.    Introduction According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, “the right to seek and enjoy asylum does not depend on the mode of arrival to a country. People who wish to apply for asylum should be allowed to do so and they should be made aware of their rights and provided legal assistance”.[1] However, looking at […]

European Public Policy, Guest Articles

Barely addressed but highly important: Migration Camps

Photo: Salah Darwish | Unsplash Guest Author: Paulina Matt Paulina Matt studies International Relations at the Central European University with a focus on International Political Economy, Development and Refugee Policy.   The new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum offers an ambitious framework for dealing with high immigration numbers. However, it does not dedicate one single sentence to the poor conditions in migration camps. The influx of migrants is a major challenge for the European Union (EU)[i]. In 2020, more than 80 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide[ii], with over […]

European Public Policy

The most fundamental rights: Queer refugees in the European Asylum System

Photo: Anastasiia Chepinska | Unsplash Author: Alina Mehrens   It’s the end of the pride month. So, as we watch the rainbows being taken down from corporate logos, sidewalks and the flagpoles in front of public offices, it’s worth discussing how much of a safe haven Europe actually is for LGBTQ+ refugees seeking asylum from persecution in their country of origin. Going from big to small, I want to first take a look at the changing judicature at the European Court of Justice and European Court of Human Rights relating […]

European Public Policy, Guest Articles

Making Polluters Pay – Policy Options for an Ambitious Reform of the European Emissions Trading System

Photo: SD-Pictures | Pixabay Guest Author: Benedikt Heyl Benedikt Heyl is a climate activist with German Zero, developing a concrete plan to make Germany climate neutral by 2035. He is a member of the Green Youth in Germany and studies theoretical physics at the University of Amsterdam.   The damages that the release of greenhouse gases causes to society as a whole are in crass contrast to the little repercussions that polluters experience for emitting them. To close this gap the European Emissions Trading System (ETS) was formed. Owners of […]

European Public Policy

Rule of Law in the EU – Killing the Goose that lays the Golden Eggs

Photo: François Genon | Unsplash   “Because other issues are more important than ethics, ethics is more important than any issue” [1]. Similarly, I would argue that the rule of law (RoL) may not be everything but without the rule of law, everything is nothing. The rule of law is inherently linked to democratic governance and democracy without the rule of law can hardly be considered democracy at all. Alongside human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality and human rights, the rule of law is one of the fundamental values uniting the […]

European Public Policy

Future of Europe: Migration Policy – Aspirations vs. Reality

Photo: Salah Darwish | Unsplash   Starting into the Council Presidency, Germany declared that migration policy in the European Union would be one of the focal points during the six months to come. Now, more than four months in, the issue many thought would be off the table due to different priorities during the corona pandemic has attracted more public scrutiny than anyone had imagined back in July 2020. The coronavirus especially affecting refugees who are most vulnerable, the burning down of Moria, the new proposal by the European Commission […]