High public debt can be the result of well-considered policy choices, but they also appear to correlate with political instability and corruption. Using Greece, Italy and Germany as case studies, this report analyses the motives and causes of public debt. It thus provides insights that are highly important in a context of low productivity and high demand for capital.
Greater commitments and ageing populations are placing pressure on public spending in EU Member States. Economic growth therefore needs to increase – along with the availability of capital. Reformed pension systems could be one possible way forward, writes Monika Hjeds Löfmark, Senior Researcher in Economics at SIEPS.
Industrial policy at the EU level has become more active, assertive, green and sectoral. This paradigm shift may however weaken competition in the single market as well as the cohesion within the EU. Given these challenges, this report provides support for new ways of financing and coordinating a more common industrial policy.
France’s view on EU enlargement has shifted. In the wake of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and with the ambition of strategic autonomy, Paris has moved from reluctant to engaged. However, as this analysis shows, there is also continuity: France still insists on the functioning of the EU as a political union, strict conditionality and its own role as a central agenda-setter.
In July 2025, the EU Commission proposed a Competitiveness Fund as a response to Draghi’s call for a European “investment shock.” This analysis, which examines the main elements and the governance of the new fund, shows that it could have a huge impact on the EU’s ability to act as an industrial policy player, the EU’s internal balance of power and the future of the internal market.
Escalating geopolitical challenges and threats have led to an intensified defence collaboration within the EU, an area essentially controlled by the Member States. This analysis examines the constitutional framework for defence policy initiatives at EU level and concludes that there is a mismatch between the Treaties and the current political reality.
Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has fundamentally transformed the security situation in Europe and brought back EU enlargement on the agenda. In this volume, eight leading experts discuss what it takes to make enlargement work: how to achieve peace, security and stability in Europe by enlarging the EU, and how to link enlargement to internal reform of the EU. The contributions were originally published in SIEPS’ series ‘FitFor35 Forum’.
In recent years, there has been a shift in Swedish public opinion on the euro – the proportion of people who are in favour of introducing the European currency in Sweden has increased. This analysis examines how Swedish public opinion on the euro has changed over time, the ideological and socio-economic factors that influence it, and how the international situation appears to affect Swedes' views.
The question of treaty change has come to the forefront due to the major challenges facing the EU: from geopolitics and enlargement to competitiveness and respect for the rule of law. But what does it take to change the EU treaties? This analysis maps out the procedures that apply to different kinds of treaty amendments. Some are extensive, others simplified – but all are complex and fraught with risk.
The role of President of the European Commission is the most significant among the top-level positions within the EU. This analysis evaluates the procedure by which the Commission President is appointed. While the aim is to make the EU more democratic, the character of the EU system makes the procedure complex and ambiguous as well as hard to change.