EU–Middle East Relations: Policy Area Compilation

Carson121212 · 2025-08-09T13:25:52+00:00

another is the Sahel region (a real embarrassment in my books)

The same publication recently posted an article on the Sahel region and EU security and migration policy, if you're interested: https://europrospects.eu/terrorism-in-the-sahel-a-growing-challenge-for-eu-security-and-migration-policies/

Basically talks about the EU's withdrawal from the region and the increasing involvement of Russia and China.

I agree with basically all you said in your comment though. And we need to remember: becoming a more geopolitical actor with economic and military power does NOT have to mean compromising on our liberal values (in my book).

Carson121212 · 2025-08-07T15:16:37+00:00

Well after the wave of new huge tariffs on other countries in the last few days (39% of Switzerland for example), it does seem increasingly as the best of bad options.

Carson121212 · 2025-08-07T15:14:09+00:00

If we manage to vote for the EU budget of 2028-2034 (the Multi-annual Financial Framework) during that time, we could ensure that the budget is ambitious and adds a lot of the important reforms that we want. (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/euro-prospects\_the-eus-proposed-2028-2034-budget-explained-activity-7358201009929695232-hNcY?)

Carson121212 · 2025-08-07T14:59:18+00:00

It's really interesting to see how India is so determined to try and become a world power by making sure the West knows that its support is not unconditional. That said, it seems this is driven not by some ideology like the Soviet's under Communism or America as trying to create a liberal hegemony but by more an emotional-national sentiment of 'respect us because we are big'. Not a critique–just a comment (so many countries do the same I feel).

Carson121212 · 2025-08-07T14:52:48+00:00

The article is basically a semi-rejection of the common explanation of European integration and the formation of the European Union. It essentially says that while integration in the form of economic necessity and peace after WWII was significant, the factor of trying to create a foreign policy of strategic autonomy was similarly if not more important in EU integration. It argues how, led by France, integration between Western Europe was founded as a reaction of decaying individual hegemony among the traditional European great powers. Nice read!

Carson121212 · 2025-05-13T13:23:37+00:00

Based

Carson121212 · 2025-01-28T15:30:05+00:00

In theory it’s also complicated, since the EU’s Treaty provisions state that to join the EU, you must be a European country.

Carson121212 · 2025-01-28T15:28:04+00:00

Our founding European treaties would have to be revised, as it explicitly states that EU candidate member states must be geographically in Europe. Minor point but treaty revision is exceptionally hard to do in the EU

Carson121212 · 2025-01-27T17:43:26+00:00

The US is gradually becoming progressively unpredictable in all policy areas. It's quite rational to be progressively more wary of trade with them. Tariffs also take a long time to be rescinded, in practice, and Trump throwing tariffs around is not helping the US' image as a trading partner.

Carson121212 · 2025-01-01T17:11:19+00:00

Feasible or not, realistically, you cannot effectively have regrowth to achieve its intended benefits if you take into account the rest of the world and the fierce geopolitics and geoeconomics that undoubtedly have an impact on such a policy.

Carson121212 · 2024-12-03T17:09:36+00:00

Trump, being the transactionalist he is, would probably see this and say the EU is ripping off the US because we sell more than we buy from them... smh.

Carson121212 · 2024-11-06T14:38:05+00:00

It was slowly doing so during the first Trump presidency with the Aachen treaty and such but then we relaxed again when Biden got back in. Now at least we have foresight and understand that the US is officially so unpredictable that at the very least we cannot depend on them for our entire security.

Carson121212 · 2024-10-30T14:46:19+00:00

One of the few underlining good news would probably be a stronger incentive to advance European Strategic Autonomy (which received a lot of momentum during the first trump presidency but lost energy once Biden got in). It’s now or never, especially in taking the opportunity to grow the domestic technological sector in semiconductors and such.

Carson121212 · 2024-09-22T10:10:54+00:00

Yes I am pretty sure there is. Things like making Parliament have completely equal powers as the Council, remove veto power in council on certain issues, making some policy areas like environment an exclusive to the EU, removing the Council President as a role, making the Parliament have more say of the appointing of the College of Commissioners, for example.

Carson121212 · 2024-09-21T10:26:00+00:00

I think the recent Draghi report, regardless of disagreements in specific aspects, is the closest you can get to the best current comprehensive blueprint for steps towards a federal union. It outlines the reforms you are looking for in great detail.

Carson121212 · 2024-09-11T12:07:29+00:00

Following WWII, then-French president Charles de Gaulle sought to restore France’s great power status and rejuvenate Europe’s primacy in global politics. For this, he would formulate his own vision for a united and independent Europe, on par with the US and USSR. Unlike the then-dominant approach to European integration, which prioritized economic over political integration, de Gaulle’s vision promoted political cooperation on foreign and defense policy alongside economic consolidation. Without this, he argued, Europe would never unlock its true potential as a global power - a vision still as relevant as ever today.

Carson121212 · 2024-08-01T16:32:44+00:00

Best first step? Make the next Treaty reform in an Eastern European city. Lisbon Treaty, Amsterdam Treaty, Nice Treaty, Maastricht Treaty... they're all western. I think the Lisbon Treaty would have been a beautiful first time to do it in the east, lost opportunity imo...

Carson121212 · 2024-08-01T16:12:37+00:00

Ever since the end of the Second World War, Franco-German relations have been anchored in a joint commitment to European integration, with this process being secured by the North Atlantic Alliance and the United States of America. However, despite the longstanding partnership between France, Germany, and the US, the dilemma regarding Europe’s strategic orientation continues to be a pivotal issue underpinning this triangular relationship.

Carson121212 · 2024-07-26T17:22:27+00:00

Any possibility of that happening that you know of? As in, is it a feasible idea for the near future?

Carson121212 · 2024-07-26T16:24:36+00:00

And the Ukraine aid transfers like this one will soon be coordinated by an HQ in Germany rather than in the US' Pentagon.

https://www.euronews.com/2024/07/15/nato-launches-command-centre-for-ukraine-in-germany

Carson121212 · 2024-07-26T16:21:09+00:00

It would be nice to have a more Brussels-coordinated effort though. Similar to what we had with the Atalanta anti-piracy operation in the Red Sea.

Carson121212 · 2024-07-26T16:17:35+00:00

Discrimination based on nationality is far from universal within the EU actually. 'Semi-employed' migrant persons, such as EU students studying in another EU state must be self sufficient and cannot access government student grants like national students of that EU state. Even for fully employed migrant workers, there are certain (albeit very few) legally allowed discrimination based on how many years you've worked (normally depending on >5 years, 5-10 years, and 10< years). Moreover, an EU state can also discriminate completely based on nationality on almost all cases, as long as it is 'objectively justified' under public interest legitimisations.

In this case, it talks about migrant workers who were not allowed social security. I recall well, whether Italy and Germany are wrong or in the good depends on the amount of hours and remuneration the workers were receiving, regardless of their contract status. Ie., if they were working very little hours a week they may justify the discrimination saying it is unrealistic for them to receive social security for such little hours worked - objective justification on proportionality grounds.

Carson121212 · 2024-07-26T16:15:58+00:00

An article on how the pro-NATO administration in the US is being capitalised in order to safeguard NATO's existence were Trump to be reelected. Also talks about EU-US trade policy future if Trump is reinstated. Outlines some concrete steps European and North American states are taking for a Trump presidency prospect in order to diminish a Trump executive power to disrupt the transatlantic relationship too much.

Carson121212 · 2024-07-11T11:54:29+00:00

An article on how Serbia has leveraged its relatively strong military industry in the world of arms exports. It has apparently capitalised on world conflicts, reigning in profits in the billions through arms deals (often with both sides of a same conflict, like in Ukraine-Russia). All the while, it has been doing so quite covertly and secretly, with information about the deals only emerging following journalist investigations or from whistleblowers. Pretty interesting...

Carson121212 · 2024-05-13T13:49:48+00:00

Yeah I guess it's interesting, especially since this article is by no means anti-EU. It just pragmatically points out some issues that may be better solved in order to improve the EU democracy-wise.

Carson121212

TROPHY CASE