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The European Union, built to represent the pinnacle of progress, openness, and pluralism, has recently found itself in the midst of several existential crises. As the continent scrambles to determine its post-Brexit reality, it is also forced to reckon with the consequences of the inconsistent and uncoordinated foreign policy positions amongst its remaining member states. Fiker Institute’s Europe Program seeks to explore the question of national sovereignty versus multilateral cooperation in Europe and to study in more detail the underlying reasons behind the rise of populism, decline in gender equality, and re-emergence of religious extremism across the continent.
Undoing the Transatlantic Partnership: Europe vs. Trump

Undoing the Transatlantic Partnership: Europe vs. Trump

The transatlantic partnership, historically a shared pillar of security and economic prosperity for the United States (US) and Europe, now faces unprecedented challenges as US President Donald Trump’s second term ushers in a new era of confrontation. At the Munich Security Conference in February 2025, Vice President JD Vance sharply criticized European leadership, revealing the widening rift between the […]

The 2025 German Elections: Party Politics & International Implications

The 2025 German Elections: Party Politics & International Implications

After the fall of the traffic-light coalition in November 2024 and Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s failure to win a vote-of-confidence the following month, Germany’s government has a  fresh opportunity to re-constitute itself in the upcoming snap elections on February 23, 2025. Scholz’s cabinet was deeply fragmented by internal disagreements, particularly over budget proposals. Havoc erupted after a […]

Farah El Abbady
The EU’s New Leadership & The Middle East

The EU’s New Leadership & The Middle East

When the European Commission’s President Ursula von der Leyen took office in 2019, she vowed to make the European Union (EU) a leading actor in confronting global challenges. Now in its second iteration, von der Leyen’s “geopolitical Commission” faces even more pressing worries in an increasingly geopolitical world: the return of Great Power politics has left […]

Miriam Aitken
2024 European Parliament Elections

2024 European Parliament Elections

Every five years and for more than four decades, European citizens head to the polls to elect their representatives in the European Parliament. The upcoming 2024 European Parliament elections, set to take place in June, will mark a pivotal moment for the future of the inter-European political landscape.

Colonial Legacies

Colonial Legacies

The decolonization processes in the 20th century introduced a range of governance models between imperial metropoles and their former colonies, which challenge a strict interpretation of political autonomy and independence in international relations.