Southern and Southeastern Europe

From Dubrovnik to Dubrovnik: The evolution of the Three Seas Initiative

By Ian Brzezinski

While there is much to celebrate about the initiative’s accomplishments over the past decade, leaders will also need to make important and difficult decisions in Dubrovnik about how it should evolve.

What Orbán’s defeat in Hungary means for the Western Balkans

By Agon Maliqi

During his sixteen years in power, Orbán built an infrastructure of influence in the Western Balkans to support his political allies.

Could Bulgaria replace Hungary as Putin’s proxy inside the EU?

By Jan Surotchak

Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán's recent election defeat was widely seen as a major setback for Russia, but victory for the pro-Kremlin candidate in this week's Bulgarian parliamentary elections could provide Putin with a new proxy inside the EU, writes Jan Surotchak.

The Eastern Mediterranean won’t replace Russian or Gulf gas—but it can be Europe’s energy shock absorber

By Hany Ghanem and Chrissy Bishai

Eastern Mediterranean gas will not eliminate Europe’s exposure to global volatility, but it can help reinforce the continent’s resilience on the margins.

Italy faces a dangerous gap between stability on paper and citizens’ lived experience

By Massimo Morelli

Giorgia Meloni’s three-year tenure as prime minister is unusually long by recent Italian standards. As her government faces its biggest test yet with a referendum on judicial reforms, what explains Meloni’s relative stability—and the frequent turnover that preceded it? A deep dive into economic and political indicators sheds light on Italy’s path forward.

Romania’s drone and energy plans with Ukraine make Europe stronger and more secure

Romanian President Nicușor Dan hosted his Ukrainian counterpart on March 12, underscoring Bucharest’s growing role in regional security.

Has the EU found a ‘magic bullet’ to its enlargement conundrum or a new distraction?

By Agon Maliqi

A proposal for European Union enlargement would offer new member states a kind of second-class status, effectively creating a two-tier EU.