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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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FC Taxpayer: How Orbán Turned Football into His Playground

“The Prime Minister is helping to save the club,” ran the headline of Viktor Orbán’s favorite state-run sports daily the other day. I had to glance at it twice to ensure we had not returned to the 1950s when Communist Party leaders and commissars made every sports decision. Well, the only real difference is that during the 50s, Hungarian football was really at its peak. 

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Munich 2.0 vs Yalta 2.0 or both?

The events of the past few days have once again highlighted the fragility of the relationship between the United States and Europe, particularly concerning the war in Ukraine. US policy increasingly points to a desire to end the war over the heads of those involved, while Europe does not seem to be finding the correct answers to the situation.

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Europe needs deregulation to grow – starting with pausing CBAM

Europe is at a crossroads. The continent’s economic engine, long admired for its stability and innovation, is losing momentum. Rising competition from the United States and China, combined with a growing regulatory burden, threatens to make Europe uncompetitive on the global stage. Faced with this reality, the EU must confront a hard truth: overregulation is strangling its economic potential. If Europe wants to remain a global leader, deregulation isn’t just an option – it’s a necessity.

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How Can He Make America Great Again?

Even before his election, President Trump made his vision for transforming US foreign policy clear. Since taking office, he has actively engaged in foreign policy battles, primarily driven by his agenda. But let’s take a quick look at the necessary steps he has taken in the two weeks since taking office and the chaos he has caused at the start of Mr Trump’s second term.

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