The European elections in June 2024 mark the starting point for a new cycle in EU politics. In this European Policy Analysis, political scientist Valentin Kreilinger (SIEPS) explores the renewal of key institutions and the formation of a new EU leadership for the next five years, a period that looks set to be marked by economic challenges, enlargement and internal reforms. (2024:6epa)

The EU is growing, again. In the near future the European Union could have as many as 35 members and will have to adapt to absorb them. SIEPS asked leading experts what the Union can or should do to be ‘Fit for 35’? (2023:2op)

The role of national parliaments in the work of the EU has increased over time. Through the ‘Political dialogue’ they have the opportunity to interact directly with the European Commission. In this European Policy Analysis, SIEPS Senior Researcher Valentin Kreilinger examines how national parliaments use the dialogue and proposes some ways in which it could be enhanced. (2023:6epa)

On 1 January Sweden took over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU. It shoulders this key institutional and legislative responsibility during a time of war and economic turmoil, with its government having been in office for just two and a half months. But, argue SIEPS researchers Jakob Lewander and Louise Bengtsson, there are good reasons for thinking that Sweden will succeed in the roles of honest broker and effective crisis manager. (2022:19epa)

From the sovereign debt crisis to the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU has taken a leading role in the management of crises. The essays in this anthology analyse the EU’s performance and suggest how it could improve as a ‘crisis manager’. Contributions by Christian Kreuder-Sonnen, Vivien A. Schmidt, Astrid Séville and Jonathan White. (2022:1op)

The EU Treaties proclaim the rule of law to be one of the Union’s founding values. Ongoing violations of it are therefore a major concern. In this SIEPS anthology, prominent legal scholars, political scientists and practitioners consider the scale of problem and examine attempted and potential solutions. (2023:1op)

Is there sufficient political accountability in the EU’s multilevel governance system? Are the public and their representatives able and willing to have decision-makers answer for their decisions? In this report Professor of Public Policy Yannis Papadopoulos examines the mechanisms of horizontal and vertical accountability vis-à-vis the EU institutions and assesses their effectiveness. (2021:4)

In July 2020, the European Council agreed on a plan to help Member States’ recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The agreement has important implications, writes Professor Erik Jones, but challenges remain. One crucial factor is whether the Member States succeed in managing their recovery and resilience plans. (2021:11epa)

The EU is committed to gender mainstreaming across all its policies and activities. When it comes to the European Commission, researchers Lut Mergaert and Rachel Minto argue that there are examples of good practice, but also weaknesses. An important task for the Commission, they write, will be to target the transformation of its own organisation. (2021:8epa)

On 1 December 2009, the Lisbon Treaty entered into force, aiming at making the EU more democratic, more transparent and more efficient. In this volume, four scholars discuss whether the Treaty has strengthened the EU during the past decade, a period marked by several crises for the European Union. With contributions from Luuk van Middelaar, R. Daniel Kelemen, Anne Thies and Eleanor Spaventa. (2019:2op)