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The war in Iran is influencing global politics well beyond the battlefield. It has reignited Europe’s energy concerns, exposed NATO and EU divisions, complicated Ukraine’s position, challenged India’s diplomacy and compelled militaries to confront the rise of asymmetric tactics threats. Of course, if the war continues for a longer period, the EU will quickly have to brace itself for the possible refugee implications.

Iran War Exposes Fault Lines in Global Politics

From energy shocks to NATO strains, the conflict is redrawing strategic priorities far beyond the Middle East.

With Macron constitutionally unable to run for a third term of office, the alliance of center parties—Renaissance, Horizon, Modem—struggled to impose themes or a narrative ahead of the election. The president has also gone out of his way to block the emergence of a successor figure who might solidify his legacy once his term expires. The void is glaring.

Is France Shifting Rightward?

The far right failed to win big in France’s municipal elections. But that’s not good news for the country’s left wing, which remained disunited while the broader right consolidated its momentum ahead of the 2027 presidential race.

The US and the European Union are each others’ largest trading partners. More than €1.6tn ($1.9tn, £1.4tn) in goods and services were exchanged in 2024, according to European figures - nearly a third of all global trade.

European Parliament gives conditional approval to EU-US trade deal

The European Parliament has backed legislation to implement an EU-US trade deal, following months of uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s tariff threats.

Because of the U.S.’s traditionally predominant role in economic, military and regulatory affairs, an authoritarian drift in Washington – against which the provisions of the U.S. Constitution evidently prove powerless – has immediate international consequences.

The U.S. Constitution as a Global Security Risk

The combination of an inflexible U.S. constitutional structure and a shift to hyper‑presidentialism create big risks for the wider democratic world.

Satellite images obtained by the BBC suggest that the Russian strike on 27 January damaged its key part - a huge tank used to store oil necessary to keep the pipeline pressurised and functioning.

Ukraine-Hungary oil pipeline row threatens EU loan

A bitter dispute pitting Hungary and Slovakia against Ukraine is holding up a crucial €90bn (£77.95bn) EU loan to Ukraine.

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In general, the elections have confirmed the growing strength of the far left in the peripheries of big cities, where there are concentrations of the immigrant working class as well as the so-called "intellectual proletariat".

Analyses

France’s Socialists hold on to power in major cities in election boost for mainstream

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Socialists and allies held on to power in France’s big four cities - Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Lille - on a local election night that offered hopes for mainstream parties in next year’s presidential elections.

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What’s needed is a revolution in the EU mindset. The last quarter-century of largely introspective policymaking has pushed external affairs to the edges. Yes, there’s the European External Action Service (EEAS) – the EU’s ‘diplomatic service’ – but it’s a Potemkin village that’s impressive yet illusory. Proof of the pudding is the EU’s lack of strategic policy stances on key questions.

World

Saying ’No’ to Trump must trigger tougher EU policies

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Giles Merritt urges EU leaders to learn from their muddled Iran responses and adopt more proactive, and even pre-emptive, common external policies.

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For decades, Russia was the obvious destination for Central Asian workers seeking employment abroad. Salaries there were sometimes up to five times higher than those available in their home countries, whose economies remain poorly diversified and offer limited opportunities for young people.

Analyses

Central Asian migrants increasingly look to Europe as Russia loses appeal

Monday, March 23, 2026

Since the war in Ukraine began, Russia is no longer widely seen as an economic “El Dorado”

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RECOMMENDED

To prevent the wider middle corridor from defaulting to Chinese hardware and standards, the EU should launch a South Caucasus border infrastructure fund. It should prioritize the digital spine, fiber-optics, automated customs terminals, and 5G corridors, ensuring that the region’s new connectivity is built on European, rather than Chinese, technical and regulatory architecture.

Europe

Russia’s Imperial Retreat Is Europe’s Strategic Opportunity

Friday, March 20, 2026

The war in Ukraine is costing Russia its leverage overseas. Across the South Caucasus and Middle East, this presents an opportunity for Europe to pick up the pieces and claim its own sphere of influence.

The new pact between Europe and the Gulf countries wouldn’t be about replicating the security guarantees Washington used to provide. That was a model only the post-Second World War United States could implement. The new partnership should instead be driven by mechanisms to mitigate the instability of the new disordered world that is taking shape.

Europe

EU and the Arab Gulf Must Come Together

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

The war in Iran proves the United States is now a destabilizing actor for Europe and the Arab Gulf. From protect their economies and energy supplies to safeguarding their territorial integrity, both regions have much to gain from forming a new kind of partnership together.

Under EUDR, countries are classified as low, standard, and high risk of deforestation, with the US falling under the low-risk category, which already eases compliance requirements.

Business

EU risks losing US soy imports under deforestation rules, Washington warns

Monday, March 16, 2026

The regulation would make the bloc less attractive for American exporters, a senior USDA official said

With the exemption, the US government is responding to the sharp rise in oil prices caused by the Iranian blockade of the Straight of Hormuz, an important strategic route for the supply of oil from the Persian Gulf. By allowing the purchase of Russian oil, the Americans hope that prices at the pump will fall.

World

Trump eases Russian oil sanctions, that could earn Putin billions

Monday, March 16, 2026

The US government is allowing the sale of sanctioned Russian oil for the second time. It hopes to temper the sharply rising oil price. In doing so it undermines the international sanctions against Russia.

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Trump has promised that higher prices are temporary, and that by the time Americans head to the polls in November they will be more positive about the cost of living. In northern Georgia, however, voters are casting ballots in a special congressional election on Tuesday. There, the Iran war – and the danger it presents to the economy – are pressing concerns.

World

Mixed messages from Trump leave more questions than answers over war’s end

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

President Donald Trump and his administration have so far offered mixed messages and contradictory explanations on the joint US-Israeli military campaign against Iran. And Monday - the 10th day of an operation that has rattled allies and shaken markets - typified this confusion around the war’s timeline and ultimate goals.

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In recent years, moments of democratic opportunity have appeared in many countries, and the EU has not been equipped to respond well. It is true that regime change does not come from the sky, an aphorism that has become prominent since the current crisis erupted. But this can easily become a straw man when European leaders, officials, journalists, and analysts skirt around using it to justify inaction.

Europe

The EU Needs a Third Way in Iran

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

European reactions to the war in Iran have lost sight of wider political dynamics. The EU must position itself for the next phase of the crisis without giving up on its principles.

more on Europe

Explaining the digital euro to public opinion is complicated by the fact that it comes in two versions – retail and wholesale. When and if a recent EU summit’s green light is confirmed by the European Parliament, this autumn should see the advent of the wholesale digital-euro for financial institutions. The retail version for general use isn’t expected for at least three years.

Analyses

To succeed, the digital euro needs megaphone messaging

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Giles Merritt looks at the undoubted benefits of the digital euro, and warns that greater public awareness will be vital to its introduction.

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Taxation policy across the EU is another area which is in urgent need of reform to encourage investment into the EU, with only 15% of our members feeling that this has become more conducive to growth, competitiveness and investment over the past year.

Management

The EU is falling behind its key competitors in R&D

Monday, March 9, 2026

The EU is falling behind its key competitors in Research and Development (R&D), according to a report by Brussels-based BusinessEurope, which represents the business community at EU level.

more on Management

The Greens led by Hannah Spencer, a plumber and local councillor, did not simply edge ahead; they won on a message rooted in economic insecurity, housing pressures and local authenticity, coupled with targeted outreach to students and Muslim voters, particularly around Palestine.

Europe

Greens Shock Victory Undermines Starmer’s Leadership

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

The local by election result exposes the fragility of Labour’s mandate—and mirrors a wider European unravelling for centre parties.

more on Europe

EU Actually

Referendum defeat rubbed off the shine of Meloni and her government

N. Peter KramerBy: N. Peter Kramer

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has lost a referendum on a constitutional reform which had turned into a vote on her government.

Europe

European Parliament gives conditional approval to EU-US trade deal

European Parliament gives conditional approval to EU-US trade deal

The European Parliament has backed legislation to implement an EU-US trade deal, following months of uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s tariff threats.

Business

Romania’s Upgrade: From EU/CEE Manufacturing Base to Emerging Innovation Hub

Romania’s Upgrade: From EU/CEE Manufacturing Base to Emerging Innovation Hub

For much of the past two decades, Romania has been described—accurately, but with growing inadequacy—as one of Central and Eastern Europe’s most competitive manufacturing platforms.

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