Latvia has a new government, but nobody should mistake it for a clean reset. The KAS country report shows a country forced into a hurried political handover after drone incidents, a defence ministry row and the collapse of Evika Siliņa’s cabinet.

Europe has a serious long-range strike problem – and its high-end answer will not arrive fast enough. The Geopolitical Monitor assessment argues that Europe’s indigenous deep-strike systems are unlikely to appear in meaningful numbers before 2028, with the most capable platforms pushed towards the early 2030s.

France wants to become Europe’s undisputed missile powerhouse. From long-range cruise missiles and ballistic systems to hypersonic weapons and next-generation strike capabilities, Paris is investing heavily in a vast arsenal designed to strengthen both national deterrence and European military autonomy.

Europe is once again facing an energy shock driven by events beyond its borders. As war in the Middle East pushes up oil and gas prices, governments are scrambling to protect households and industry from another surge in costs. But the CER assessment highlights an uncomfortable reality: Europe’s room for manoeuvre is far smaller than it was during previous crises.

One of Europe’s greatest achievements is increasingly being treated as a security problem. Across the Schengen area, governments are reintroducing temporary border controls in response to migration pressures, security concerns and political demands. The Stratfor analysis warns that these measures may look temporary, but their economic consequences could become much harder to reverse.

France likes to present itself as Europe’s most sovereign major power – a nuclear state with global military reach, an independent foreign policy tradition and ambitions to lead Europe in an increasingly unstable world. The RUSI analysis argues that this image masks a more uncomfortable reality: France’s power rests on a web of dependencies that could become serious vulnerabilities during a major crisis.

A growing political rebellion is spreading across Europe, and mainstream parties are struggling to stop it. In this ECFR podcast discussion, Mark Leonard and British MP Liam Byrne argue that the rise of populist movements is not a temporary protest wave but the result of deeper failures that have been building for years.