Most-Favoured Nation Drug Pricing Risks Transatlantic Rift
When the Trump administration signed its Most-Favoured Nation (MFN) executive order in 2025, few doubted the measure would shake global pharmaceutical markets. By tying U.S. drug prices to the lowest government-negotiated rates in Europe and Canada, the White House pitched the plan as relief for American patients at the pharmacy counter.
Liberalism’s Crisis of Confidence in Europe
From Brussels to Berlin, Europe’s liberal parties are struggling to define their role in an increasingly fragmented political landscape. Once the kingmakers of the European Parliament, they now find themselves relegated to the fifth-largest group, unable to balance left and right as they once did.
Denmark’s Balancing Act: Inside the EU Presidency’s Strategic Pivot on Climate, Security, and Sovereignty
As the European Union contends with internal fragmentation and rising global uncertainty, Denmark has assumed the EU Council Presidency with a slogan that reflects both ambition and urgency: *“A strong Europe in a changing world.”* In a special episode of *CEA Talk*, Szilárd Szelpál spoke with Otto Brøns-Petersen, Director of Analysis at CEPOS and one of Denmark’s most influential economic voices, to unpack the deeper motivations and policy visions behind this presidency—and what it means for Europe’s political and economic trajectory.
Hungary’s Tectonic Turn: Polls, Protest, and the Possibility of Political Realignment
For over a decade, Hungary’s electoral politics have functioned like clockwork: predictable, polarized, and dominated by the monolithic presence of Fidesz. Yet today, with national elections just ten months away, the gears of that machine are grinding, and the signs of political realignment are no longer theoretical—they’re measurable.
After the Ministry: Gábor Baranyai on Diplomacy, Brussels Realities, and the Uneven Future of the EU
In Brussels, where power often hides in plain sight, few know its rhythms better than former diplomat Gábor Baranyai. A two-time envoy to the European capital and a seasoned legal expert, Baranyai’s career path reflects not only the arc of Hungarian diplomacy, but also the institutional undercurrents shaping the EU’s political core.
Sporting Ambitions and Strategic Shifts: How Business, Policy, and Legacy Shape the Future of Athletics
In a world where geopolitical influence, technology, and entertainment converge more than ever before, the business of sport is fast becoming one of the defining arenas of global competition. In the second part of my conversation with Marlon Gilbert-Roberts, CEO of Business to Sports Group (B2S), we delved deeper into the shifting ground beneath international sport—spanning EU regulation, commercial partnerships, emerging markets, and athlete futures.
The EU must learn from its mistakes on environmental regulation
For years, the EU has branded itself as global regulator. With a slowing economy, it promises to reverse past decisions. But its economy will only thrive if it abandons this indecisive course. Its U-turn over banning internal combustion engines is a case in point.
Israel’s Resilience Division Head Reflects the Nation’s Energized Collective Spirit
“ZAKA does deeply sacred and incredibly difficult work,” says Yifat Godiner, a strategic adviser in cybersecurity and AI. “As an Israeli, I see them as a symbol of compassion, resilience, and unwavering dedication… They bring dignity and humanity where it’s needed most.”
This powerful sentiment is embodied by Vered Atzmon Meshulam, clinical psychologist and head of ZAKA’s Resilience Division. In the wake of Hamas’ devastating October 7 attacks—the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust—Vered found her life’s mission transformed. “We’re in a situation that we, in this generation, have never felt or dealt with,” she recalls. “I understood that we are in a new generation.”
Responding with urgency, she created a trauma-informed national recovery system that fuses psychological therapy with Jewish spiritual tools. “Healing resilience grows not despite the pain, but through it,” she told a recent Jerusalem Post conference.
From accompanying grieving families at IDF’s Shura base to leading over 1,000 first responders through her ‘Lens of the Spirit’ model, Vered’s work is redefining how a nation processes collective trauma. “In every Jewish story, there is an ember of eternity,” she says. “If we learn to tend that fire—even through our pain—it can illuminate the path for others.”
From the Courtroom to the Touchline: How Law, Strategy, and Trust Are Shaping the Future of Sport – PART 1
Sport has long since outgrown the confines of stadiums and scoreboards. Today, it is an economic powerhouse, cultural soft power tool, and global platform for technological innovation. Few people understand this complex intersection of law, commerce, and performance better than Marlon Gilbert-Roberts, a former international criminal lawyer turned CEO of the Brussels-based consultancy Business to Sports Group.
Poland enters a new era of divided leadership following presidential vote
Poland faces a challenging period of political cohabitation following the country’s presidential election, which has returned a right-wing head of state while the pro-European coalition government led by Donald Tusk retains its fragile hold on parliament.
The Brave New Biology of Xenobots
“We are standing at the frontier. And when you stand at the frontier, you must stay curious — and critical.” — Simon Verghote, ULB researcher in bioethics and synthetic biology
It begins with a frog, and a question as old as philosophy itself. In a laboratory at the Université libre de Bruxelles, Simon Verghote is part of a group exploring xenobots — tiny programmable organisms designed by artificial intelligence, constructed from real living cells.
European Think Tanks Urge Bold EU Reform in Open Letter to von der Leyen
A coalition of prominent European free-market think tanks, including the Warsaw Enterprise Institute, Prosum Foundation, and Foro Regulación Inteligente, has sent a strongly-worded open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. They urge a comprehensive overhaul of European Union regulations and governance to foster innovation and boost economic growth amid fierce global competition.
Rebuilding Transatlantic Trust: Consumers, Trade Tensions, and a New Chapter in EU-US Cooperation
In an era marked by intensifying geopolitical shifts, rising protectionism, and digital fragmentation, transatlantic cooperation between the United States and the European Union faces a critical juncture. At the heart of this moment is the consumer: a figure too often overlooked in policy debates, yet profoundly impacted by the rippling consequences of trade wars, regulatory divergence, and economic uncertainty.
“We Were Trump Before Trump”: What the Democratic Party Must Learn from Hungary
“In international politics, we Hungarians are the only ones who have consistently said the same things as Trump since 2010. That’s why, in America, they see us as having been ‘Trump before Trump,’” said Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in a December 2024 interview. There are many reasons to criticize Orbán, but he was not wrong in this statement. While Hungarian and American politics are not identical – given their vastly different historical, cultural, religious, and economic contexts – the form of global populism that Orbán himself calls “illiberalism” was pioneered by him in the Western world. And it began in 2010.
FC Taxpayer: How Orbán Is Buying Influence through Football in the Region
In the first part of the series, I outlined how the Hungarian Prime Minister has used public money to influence football teams and use football for his political advantage. But his playground is not only Hungary. Over the last decade, Viktor Orbán has turned football into a powerful international political tool, funneling millions of euros into foreign clubs, particularly in countries with Hungarian minorities. While these investments are often framed as cultural and sports diplomacy, they serve a much broader purpose: expanding Hungary’s influence in Central and Eastern Europe.
