This open access short reader provides an introductory yet critically analytical exploration of migration and the politics of integration. Drawing inspiration from Nira Yuval-Davis' concept of the 'politics of belonging,' we define the 'politics of integration' as various political projects...

This paper examines economic and institutional convergence between EU Core, EU New, and Western Balkan countries over the period 2004-2023 using a comprehensive panel dataset and multiple convergence frameworks. Evidence of absolute β-convergence is found, although at a slow pace, while...

A credible EU enlargement policy remains necessary from a geopolitical perspective, but can only succeed through a more pragmatic and gradual integration approach. New members amplify the existing challenges to EU decision making, rule-of-law conditionality and political cohesion, particularly...

This report examines how migration will shape the region’s demographic and socio-economic future by 2035 under two trajectories: EU Integration, marked by institutional strengthening and circular mobility, and Strategic Isolation, characterised by governance stagnation and one-way outflows....

The European Union (EU) emerged as a product and beneficiary of the Liberal International Order (LIO). Yet, as this order disintegrates, marked by multipolarity, thin multilateralism, and the return of power politics, the EU has taken unprecedented integrative steps, including joint debt...

Since Russia launched its full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine in 2022, the European Union (EU) has pursued its enlargement policy as part of a geopolitical approach. According to the European Commission and candidate states, the EU could admit new members from 2028 onwards, while...

Ukraine, migration, and the economy were uppermost on the agenda of the European Council in 2023 as EU leaders sought to maximise support for the victim of Russia's military aggression, cope with a rising number of refugees and asylum seekers and halt the EU's declining global competitiveness....

This paper analyzes developmental trajectories in the EU. In doing so, it diagnoses economic polarization on two different levels: for one, we observe a divergence of average incomes across EU countries as a persistent empirical feature associated with European integration. For another, European...

This paper analyzes developmental trajectories in the EU. In doing so, it diagnoses economic polarization on two different levels: for one, we observe a divergence of average incomes across EU countries as a persistent empirical feature associated with European integration. For another, European...

This study proposes a comprehensive theoretical framework for regional identity formation across 95 European regions integrating Social Identity Theory, constructivist approaches, and nested identity theory. Using virtual snowball sampling from 2019 to 2024, participants selected their region's...

This paper analyses the transformative 2025 political agreement redefining Gibraltar's relationship with the European Union (EU) in the post-Brexit era. Historically a British Overseas Territory with strategic significance, Gibraltar has long occupied a unique legal and geopolitical position....

In an era marked by repeated crises and the growing traction of populist movements, understanding the deep-rooted factors shaping EU cohesion has become increasingly urgent. This paper investigates how lifetime exposure to economic recessions influences individual attitudes toward the European...

This paper explores the role of export-oriented firms in shaping regional economic development, with a focus on their operational footprint, strategic orientation, and interaction with institutional and infrastructural environments. Set within the broader context of regional competitiveness and...

Would you like to know how the EU addressed the challenges of 2024 and what it achieved during the year? Are you curious about the main policy developments and how citizens benefited from them? You can find the answers to all these questions and more in The EU in 2024.

Would you like to know how the EU addressed the challenges of 2024 and what it achieved during the year? Are you curious about the main policy developments and how citizens benefited from them? You can find the answers to all these questions and more in The EU in 2024.

Would you like to know how the EU addressed the challenges of 2024 and what it achieved during the year? Are you curious about the main policy developments and how citizens benefited from them? You can find the answers to all these questions and more in The EU in 2024.

Jean Monnet Designated institutions (JMDIs) are seven institutions designated in Article 8(c) of the 2021-2027 Erasmus+ Regulation1 as institutions pursuing an aim of European interest. They are the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, including its School of Transnational...

Jean Monnet Designated institutions (JMDIs) are seven institutions designated in Article 8(c) of the 2021-2027 Erasmus+ Regulation1 as institutions pursuing an aim of European interest. They are the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, including its School of Transnational...

Western Balkan countries aim to intensify their path toward the European Union as an opportunity to ensure peace, economic growth, and institutional sustainability. Apart from the regional challenges, the EU integration process of the WB is affected by different geopolitical challenges, such as...

The Treaty on the Functioning of the EU promotes not only a common market but also economic, social and territorial cohesion and access to public services, including cross-border regions. Despite the objective of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU to promote, inter alia, cohesion in...

European NATO members must raise defence spending by enough to deter through strength an irredentist Russia. This must be done possibly without the United States and when ageing populations demand higher social spending. Raising defence spending to sufficient levels could result in a doubling of...

Empirical economic studies based on gravity models have generally portrayed European integration in a highly positive light. However, the success of Eurosceptic parties in the German regional elections and the Dutch legislative elections highlights growing resistance to further integration. This...

What is the relationship between international travel and pro-European dispositions? Most theoretical research on European integration argues that international travel fosters these dispositions, and many cross-sectional studies support this expectation. However, support for this association...

List of Tables and Figures, List of Abbreviations, Acknowledgements, 1 The Strange Survival of Social Concertation in Times of Austerity, 2 Social Concertation as a Political Strategy, 3 European Integration, Domestic Politics and Social Concertation, 4 Methods and Cases, 5 The Context of Social...

Since the introduction of Article 4(2) of the Treaty on European Union, the meaning and function of the notion of constitutional identity have become an important point of contention. This study, commissioned by the European Parliament's Policy Department for Citizens' Rights and Constitutional...

Since the introduction of Article 4(2) of the Treaty on European Union, the meaning and function of the notion of constitutional identity have become an important point of contention. This study, commissioned by the European Parliament's Policy Department for Citizens' Rights and Constitutional...

Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including the military build-up before the invasion began on 24 February, dominated every one of the nine meetings of the European Council in 2022. It affected most issues with which the European Council dealt during the year, ranging from energy policy to the...