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Le chef des opérations de maintien de la paix de l'ONU met en garde, vendredi, contre la "menace d'un embrasement régional aux conséquences incalculables" dans la région des Grands Lacs, à l'est de la République démocratique du Congo. Les rebelles du M23, soutenus par Kigali, contrôlent depuis mercredi la ville de Uvira.

In early December, USAF F-35A Lightning IIs and F-16 Fighting Falcons took part in agile airpower exercises across the Baltic states and in Romania. Two F-16s from the U.S. Air Force’s 31st Fighter Wing (FW), based at Aviano Air Base, Italy, launched on Dec. 3, 2025 and flew to Câmpia Turzii Air Base, Romania – […]

La fille de John Smyth, auteur de violences répétées, affirme que le temps n'a pas atténué l'« horreur » de ses actes.

The NSS is likely to offer China short-term relief – but cause for long-term concern.

Chinese electric bus manufacturers are using their membership in the U.N. Global Compact to deflect scrutiny from European regulators. 

Candide Azannaï, ancien ministre béninois de la Défense et importante figure politique de l'opposition, a été interpellé vendredi à Cotonou, selon une source policière et un de ses proches. Aucune précision n'a été donnée sur les motifs de son interpellation, alors que le Bénin a vécu une tentative de coup d'État dimanche.

Far from celebrating an American retreat, Beijing’s strategists are reading the NSS as a blueprint for leaner – and potentially more dangerous – U.S. primacy.

The elections set for March 2026 will test whether the political energy unleashed by the youth uprising can truly break free from transactional politics.

With major powers like China and India asserting their ambitions in the Indian Ocean, France relies on partnerships with like-minded countries, including Mauritius, to maintain its influence.

On Monday 15 December, SEDE Members will vote on the 3 files of the Defence Omnibus package, with the Members of the ENVI, ITRE and IMCO Committees. This is a critical vote because the Defence Omnibus package should lead to the speeding-up of procurement, strengthening our defence industry, and creating the conditions to bring capabilities to our armed forces much faster.
The votes will then be followed by an in camera discussion on "The persistent threat of hybrid war - recent Belarusian combined attacks against Lithuania".
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

On Monday 15 December, SEDE Members will vote on the 3 files of the Defence Omnibus package, with the Members of the ENVI, ITRE and IMCO Committees. This is a critical vote because the Defence Omnibus package should lead to the speeding-up of procurement, strengthening our defence industry, and creating the conditions to bring capabilities to our armed forces much faster.
The votes will then be followed by an in camera discussion on "The persistent threat of hybrid war - recent Belarusian combined attacks against Lithuania".
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Washington’s political message remains supportive, but its strategic priorities no longer clearly align with the long-term demands of the partnership.

Alina Felder-Stindt

The European Union’s ambition to become a knowledge-based economy has transformed the role of higher education institutions (HEIs). My new book, The Territorial Dimension of EU Knowledge Policies: Higher Education Institutions for Europe (Routledge, 2025), explores how universities are not only shaped by European integration but also actively shape it, particularly through their engagement with EU regional policy.

 

Why this book?

Since the Lisbon Strategy and Europe 2020, EU policies have aimed to boost competitiveness through knowledge. While higher education remains a national competence, the EU has expanded its influence via funding instruments and governance frameworks. Among these, European Territorial Cooperation (Interreg) which traditionally is a regional policy tool plays a surprising role in higher education. Interreg funds cross-border projects among higher education institutions, creating new cooperation spaces and governance dynamics.

This book argues that these financial instruments do more than support collaboration: they Europeanise higher education by embedding EU priorities such as innovation, mobility, cohesion into institutional strategies. At the same time, HEIs use these instruments to influence EU policy, creating feedback loops that blur boundaries between national and EU governance.

 

Theoretical lens: a circular model of Europeanisation

At the heart of this book lies a simple but powerful idea: Europeanisation is not linear but circular. Instead of seeing it as a one-way, top-down process, the book introduces a framework that captures the dynamic interplay between EU policies HEIs.

The model unfolds like a story in four acts. It begins with the conditions for use: why HEIs decide to engage with EU funding and what incentives or barriers shape that choice. Then comes the use of EU instruments, where HEIs tap into programmes like Interreg to build networks and cooperation structures. The third act explores the consequences of use, i.e. how these projects transform organisational capacities, strategic priorities, and even the rationale for collaboration. Finally, the circle closes with feedback to EU policy, as universities move from passive beneficiaries to active policy entrepreneurs, influencing agendas and instruments at the European level.

This framework builds on multi-level governance theory, integrating perspectives from regionalisation and internationalisation research. At its core, it positions HEIs at the intersection of three distinct governance arenas. The first is intergovernmental coordination, exemplified by processes such as Bologna, which harmonise standards across national systems. The second is community programmes, including Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, and Interreg, which foster collaboration and mobility within the European Union. The third arena is organisational cooperation, where cross-border university networks create new spaces for joint action and knowledge exchange.

By weaving together vertical and horizontal dynamics, this model reveals how universities operate not merely as recipients of EU knowledge policies but as active co-creators of Europe’s knowledge economy. In doing so, it highlights their dual role: navigating complex governance structures while shaping the very architecture of European integration through education and research.

 

Empirical focus: Two regions, two stories

To bring this framework to life, the book dives deep into two cross-border networks. First, the University of the Greater Region (UniGR) – a consortium of six research-intensive universities spanning Belgium, Germany, France, and Luxembourg. UniGR was born out of EU funding and embodies the ambition to create a “mini-Europe” in the heart of the continent. Second, the International Association of Lake Constance Universities (IBH) – a long-standing network of 30 institutions, including universities of applied sciences, stretching across Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. Unlike UniGR, IBH existed before EU funding entered the picture, making it a perfect case to explore how incentives reshape established cooperation.

Both networks tapped into Interreg, the EU’s regional policy instrument, across multiple programming periods. This allowed to trace not just short-term impacts but long-term transformations. The evidence comes from a rich mix of sources: programme documents, strategy papers, and 64 interviews with actors ranging from university leaders to EU policy-makers. These voices reveal how decisions are made, how priorities shift, and how cooperation evolves under the influence of Europeanisation.

 

Key insights: Not just adapting but shaping Europe’s knowledge policies

The book uncovers a powerful truth: Europeanisation is not a one-way street. Universities do not just adapt to EU policies, but they actively shape them. What begins as a funding opportunity evolves into a political strategy. Through Interreg, HEIs move from beneficiaries to policy entrepreneurs in three distinct ways:

• Re-use: Universities repeatedly secure Interreg funding to sustain and expand cross-border cooperation. This isn’t just about continuity—it’s about building institutional capacity and embedding cooperation into long-term strategies.
• Promotion: Beneficiaries advocate for higher education to remain a priority in regional programmes. They influence programming phases, consultations, and thematic priorities, ensuring that HEIs stay on the EU’s radar.
• Pro-action: Networks mobilise to shape EU-level initiatives like the European Universities Initiative. Even when applications fail, these efforts leave a mark and reshape governance models, strategic visions, and the very idea of what European higher education should look like.

These dynamics reveal Europeanisation as negotiated rather than imposed. Universities adapt to EU priorities, but they also push back, innovate, and co-create policy. They become actors in multi-level governance, blurring the line between implementation and agenda-setting.

 

Implications: Shaping Europe’s future through higher education

For higher education, the stakes are high. Project-based governance now drives research agendas, career paths, and institutional strategies. Can HEIs thrive in a system built on short-term projects? What happens to autonomy when funding dictates priorities? These questions resonate as the EU rolls out flagship initiatives like the European Universities Initiative, which aims to create deeply integrated transnational alliances, and the Union of Skills, designed to tackle skill shortages for the digital and green transitions. Universities are expected not only to teach and research but to help solve Europe’s most pressing societal challenges from climate change to technological transformation.

For EU governance, the implications are profound. Feedback loops shift power toward beneficiaries, challenging traditional top-down models. They create new governance spaces where HEIs and regional actors influence EU policy sometimes more than expected. This raises questions about inclusivity, coherence, and the long-term sustainability of Europe’s knowledge economy.

Understanding these dynamics is essential as Europe navigates competitiveness, integration, and the twin transitions. The book shows that policy is not just made in Brussels but that it is co-created in border regions, project offices, and university networks across Europe, shaping the future of European higher education and its role in society.

 

Who is this book for?

This book speaks to anyone curious about how Europe works behind the scenes and how policies travel across borders and how universities become active players in shaping them. If you are a researcher or student in European Studies, Public Policy, or Higher Education Governance, you’ll find a fresh theoretical lens and rich empirical evidence that challenge traditional top-down views of Europeanisation. If you are a policy maker or practitioner, the book offers practical insights into how EU funding instruments like Interreg influence cooperation and create feedback loops that shape future policy.  For university leaders and administrators, this book explains how projectification affects institutional strategies, research agendas, and international positioning. And if you are simply interested in Europe’s knowledge economy, this book connects the dots between competitiveness, integration, and education in a way that is accessible and thought-provoking.

 

The book may be accessed here: The Territorial Dimension of EU Knowledge Policies: Higher Education Institutions for Europe 

 

Dr. Alina Felder-Stindt is Assistant Professor at Pompeu Fabra University, Spain. She obtained her PhD from the University of Bamberg, Germany, and previously held a postdoctoral position at the School of Economics and Political Science at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. Her research interests include the making of (EU) public policy and the mechanisms and effects of Europeanisation. Her research has appeared as a monograph with Routledge and as articles in Governance, Journal of European Integration, JCMS Journal of Common Market Studies, Politics & Governance and Regulation & Governance.

The post Higher education institutions for Europe: A territorial perspective appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

How Takaichi's government addresses the implementation gap for existing laws will define whether her historic appointment translates into substantive progress for women's safety.

A Coronelt túlélő angol hajók a csata után azonnal visszaindultak Falkland felé, mivel teljesen nyilvánvaló volt, ha a chilei vizeken maradnak, ők sem kerülhetik el a Good Hope és a Monmouth sorsát. Miután sikerült leráznia üldözőit, a Glasgow nyugat felé egy nagy kanyart megtéve déli irányba fordult, és három napon át húsz csomó feletti sebességgel haladva egyenesen a Magellán-szoroshoz hajózott. A cirkáló itt várta be a Canopust, mely a tőle telhető legnagyobb, kilenccsomós sebességgel kínlódta el magát a szorosig. A Canopus közben kétszer is csak néhány mérfölddel kerülte el a sérült angol hajók után kutató német cirkálókat, akik a rossz időben szerencsére nem vették észre a kivénhedt csatahajót. A Canopus és a Glasgow november hatodikán találkozott a Magellán-szoros bejáratánál, és innen együtt mentek Falklandra. A Canopus hajtóművei útközben kétszer is felmondták a szolgálatot.

Az Otranto, hogy biztosan elkerülje a dél felé haladó német hajókat, a csata után kétszáz mérföldet hajózott nyugat felé, ki a Csendes-óceánra. A segédcirkáló csak ezután fordult délnek, és a Magellán-szorost elkerülve a biztonságosabbnak gondolt Horn-fok körüli utat választva jutott vissza a Falkland-szigetekre.

[...] Bővebben!

The real problem is not Britain’s lack of engagement with Beijing, but its shrinking leverage in a China-U.S. power dynamic that London has no power to shape.

The country's small, fragmented farms and climate pressures threaten food security and economic stability.

Written by Clare Ferguson with Sara Raja.

Members gather on 15 December for the final plenary session of 2025. The agenda reflects ongoing geopolitical tensions, and addresses issues of defence, human rights, trade, energy and the environment. Parliament will also debate the preparation of the European Council meeting of 18‑19 December 2025.

The Sakharov Prize is the EU’s highest tribute to human rights work, recognising those that have made an outstanding contribution to protecting freedom of thought. On Tuesday, President Roberta Metsola is to award the prize to Andrzej Poczobut of Belarus and Mzia Amaglobeli of Georgia, journalists fighting for democracy in their home countries. Both journalists were jailed for defending freedom of expression and democracy.

Amid rising geopolitical pressures, the EU aims to redirect budget resources to defending the EU through the ReArm Europe plan/Readiness 2030 initiative. On Monday, Members are due to consider formal adoption of a provisional agreement amending five regulations on defence funding programmes. The amendments would expand the scope of the Digital Europe Programme (DEP), European Defence Fund (EDF), Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) and Horizon Europe. The amendments increase funding for dual-use defence technologies and infrastructure across these programmes, and aim at supporting defence research and development and strengthening European value chains. The agreement extends the EDF to Ukraine, allowing Ukrainian entities to participate in EU collaborative defence research and development.

Military mobility – the ability to quickly and efficiently move troops, weapons and equipment across the EU – is essential for European security and defence and for EU support to Ukraine. On Tuesday, Parliament is scheduled to consider a joint report from the Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE) and Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) calling for a significantly increased budget for military mobility. The report recognises the urgent need to improve military mobility in the EU, including for fast deployment of troops and military equipment to the EU’s eastern flank.

The rule of law conditionality regulation allows the EU to suspend or reduce funds to Member States that violate the rule of law in a way that directly threatens the Union’s financial interests. Members are concerned that the mechanism has only been triggered once to date, against Hungary in December 2022. On Wednesday, Parliament is due to debate a report assessing the regulation’s implementation. The joint report from the Committees on Budget (BUDG) and Budgetary Control (CONT) calls for improvements to increase transparency through a public portal tracking breaches, a simpler complaint procedure, and a stronger role for parliamentary scrutiny.

Innovation is a top EU priority, and Members are expected to consider a provisional agreement on a compulsory patent licensing scheme on Tuesday. The scheme aims at facilitating rapid use of patents during crises while preserving innovation incentives through patent protection. Parliament’s negotiators have succeeded in excluding crises relating to semiconductors, gas supply security and defence-related products from the scope, as well as maintaining confidentiality of protected knowledge and lowering maximum fines and penalties.

On Monday, Parliament is scheduled to consider a provisional agreement on amendments to the common agricultural policy (CAP). The agreement aims to simplify CAP requirements for farmers, including good agricultural and environmental conditions of land (GAECs), by exempting farms partially certified as organic from certain GAECs and providing farmers with additional support for compliance with some GAECs. It would increase the maximum payment amount for small farmers and include new support for small farm business development. Under the agreement, Member States are advised to avoid conducting more than one on-the-spot check per year on the same farm.

Parliament is due to debate a motion for a resolution from the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) on Tuesday, regarding how the EU intends to follow up on the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘My voice, my choice: for safe and accessible abortion’. The initiative proposes creating an EU-funded, voluntary opt-in system to support EU countries that offer safe and legal abortion services to people from EU countries where access is limited. The FEMM motion for a resolution urges Member States to align their laws with international human rights standards, and highlights the EU’s responsibility to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights more broadly.

Quick links to all our publications for this plenary session:

• Laureates of the 2025 Sakharov Prize: Andrzej Poczobut and Mzia Amaglobeli, journalists fighting for democracy in Belarus and Georgia
• Enhancing EU defence investments
• Implementation of the rule of law conditionality regime
• CAP simplification agreement
• Military mobility
• European Citizens’ Initiative – ‘My voice, my choice: For safe and accessible abortion’
• EU compulsory licensing of patents for crisis management

Since the 2016 death of the country’s first president, Islam Karimov, his successor, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, has strived to present himself as a reformer forging a “New Uzbekistan."