Demonstrators hold up Polish flags outside the European Union Commission representation in Warsaw, Poland, on 3 January 2025 during a protest against EU agricultural policies.

Polish Farmers and the Hallsteinian Vision for Agriculture

‘One is constantly reminded of Hallstein’s [Stresa] speech when analysing the turbulences of the recent years in Europe’s fields and countryside towns, occasionally bringing the distinct view of columns of tractors and piles of hay to the polished streets and thoroughfares of European capitals. And, out of the several farmers’ movements that have swept the EU since 2022, few dialogue so much with Hallstein as the Polish one.’

Eugène Siberdt, The Prophet Nathan Rebukes King David (between1866 and 1931). Mayfair Gallery, London, UK

The Future of Christianity in Politics

‘Christianity from its beginnings has presented something new with regard to political life: a certain indifference, if I may put it that way, to the political regime. That is, it enjoins rendering unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s, and hence obeying one’s rulers so long as they do not demand sin, especially idolatry. These injunctions are founded on the faith that the City of God rather than the City of Man is man’s ultimate destiny.’

Trump Admin Left EU on Read — And It Couldn’t Be Better

Despite desperate efforts to capture the attention of the new US administration, Donald Trump’s foreign policy team does not appear interested in engaging with the European Union as a bloc. Instead, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has prioritized bilateral discussions with individual member states. This approach offers European nations an opportunity to reclaim their sovereign foreign policy, which has increasingly been overshadowed and taken over by Brussels in recent years, often against their will.

Belgian member of European Parliament and EU EOM Liberia Chief Observer Maria Arena gives a press conference in Monrovia on December 28, 2017. (Photo by SEYLLOU / AFP)

The Lingering Scandal of Qatargate

Ex-S&D politician and former MEP Maria Arena has recently been charged with participating in a criminal organization. The Belgian politician is joining the line of former MEPs who are facing formal accusations of making political favours for countries such as Qatar and Morocco in exchange for monetary reward.

Brussels Sanctions Austrian Modul University Over Hungarian Ties

The European Commission has decided to suspend Vienna’s Modul University from participating in the Erasmus+ and Horizon programmes, mirroring a similar decision made against 21 Hungarian universities in late 2022. Balázs Orbán, the political director of the Hungarian prime minister, condemned the decision as outrageous and pledged to defend academic freedom.

Orbán, Fico Agree to Never Let Ukraine Join NATO

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his Slovak counterpart Robert Fico met in in Bratislava on Tuesday to discuss energy security issues. The two leaders also pledged to steadfastly oppose Ukraine’s NATO membership.