In May 2026, votes in the EP resembled those of times past: with majorities based on the cooperation of EPP, S&D and Renew, no votes decided by the far right, and a fine example of a very broad supermajority.
By NICOLAI VON ONDARZA
#EUanalytics
In reality, these proposals are there because the EU has not yet mustered the will to move to QMV on a large scale, with many existing member states wary of giving up the veto. In my view the wrong approach.
Ouch. The UK remains a formidable military power in comparison to most of its European partners, but it is clearly slipping down in the capabilities it can currently bring to the table.
The UK could learn a lot from how recent crises forced the Polish and Italian militaries to develop a clearer sense of strategic purpose that enabled more effective use of their resources.
But that requires UK elites to abandon snobbery towards CEE and Med states that has persisted for centuries.
While I am very supportive of the ideas around gradual integration and the 'associate membership' for Ukraine, I am personally quite sceptical of this:
First, decision-making power is THE core of being an EU member. Without it, you really create second class membership and democracy issues.
Second, while Orbán might have inspired these ideas, if in place they would not have solved them. Hungary joined in 2004, Orbán's obstructive vetos really only picked up in 2021 onwards.
Important point. With the UK (GCAP), France and Germany now likely each pursuing their own fighter jet program in different groups, this will again structurally embed European countries competing against each in their arms deals and defence industrial strategies.
Pretty clear finding on 'Google Zero' from a Danish perspective - where the use of AI mode by google leads to an absolute collapse of people clicking through to the original sites:
Perhaps the pain wasn't big enough, or dependence on the US is politically easier.
But going it alone essentially means implicitly adopting a "capture the market" strategy by setting everyone up for a competitive fiscal (and perhaps political) spiral.
Expected. And yet.
Nicolai von Ondarza
Nicolai von Ondarza
Die Entwicklung des gemeinsamen europäischen Kampfjets wird nach SPIEGEL-Informationen beendet. Darauf haben sich Kanzler Merz und Präsident Macron verständigt. Der Jet sollte den Eurofighter ablösen.
