Publications

The Netherlands before the elections

Current polls indicate difficulties in forming a majority

Early parliamentary elections for the Tweede Kamer will be held on 29 October. After Geert Wilders' right-wing populist Party for Freedom (PVV) left the governing coalition in June, bringing down Prime Minister Dick Schoof's government, a caretaker government remains in office. Two weeks before the election, the campaign to win voters' favour has reached its peak. Recent polls show that it will be difficult to form a majority. It remains to be seen whether the election results will lead to more stable political conditions. The following report outlines the background to the election, analyses campaign issues and tactics, and sketches out scenarios.

Zwischen Sicherheit, Wettbewerbsfähigkeit und Klimapolitik - die dänische EU-Ratspräsidentschaft ist herausgefordert

Bestandsaufnahme zur Halbzeit der dänischen Präsidentschaft

Als Gastgeber des informellen EU-Gipfels am 1. Oktober in Kopenhagen rückte Dänemark ins Zentrum der europäischen Aufmerksamkeit: im Vorfeld des Gipfels waren vermehrt Drohnen über dänischen Flughäfen und militärischen Einrichtungen gesichtet worden, die die dänische Regierung als „hybride Angriffe“ bezeichnete. Die Häufung besorgniserregen-der Drohnensichtungen auch in anderen europäischen Städten veranlasste die dänische Ministerpräsidentin Mette Frederiksen gar von einem „hybriden Krieg” seitens Russlands zu sprechen. Der Gipfel, bei dem die gemeinsame Verteidigung Europas und die Unterstützung der Ukraine im Vordergrund der Debatte standen, markierte die Halbzeit der dänischen Ratspräsidentschaft. Das bietet Anlass, auf die Vorhaben der dänischen Präsidentschaft zu blicken und Zwischenbilanz zu ziehen.

Europa muss um seine Zukunft kämpfen - Ursula von der Leyens dringlicher Appell

Rede zur State of the European Union (SOTEU) am 10. September 2025

Der Kampf um die Zukunft Europas - das war das Leitmotiv der ebenso kämpferisch vorgetragenen Rede zur Lage der Europäischen Union von Kommissionspräsidentin Ursula von der Leyen. Die erste Rede zur Lage der Union in der zweiten Amtszeit der Präsidentin war - hinsichtlich der Vielzahl an inner- wie außereuropäischen Herausforderungen, vor denen die EU gegenwärtig steht – mit Spannung erwartet worden. Im Folgenden werden die wichtigsten Vorhaben der SOTEU 2025 nach Themenfeldern zusammengefasst und eingeordnet.

30 in 2030?: Making Montenegro’s EU Accession a Success Story

Last Friday Montenegro held its 18th Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) at the ministerial level and closed chapter 5 on Public Procurement – the first of Cluster 1 on Fundamentals. Upon taking office in October 2023, the Montenegrin government announced its intention to conclude accession negotiations by 2026 and become the 28th EU member by 2028. Montenegro is the most advanced candidate in the negotiation process and currently has the best chances to become the next member of the EU. As part of our “30 in 2030?” series, KAS Europe supported the publication “Making Montenegro’s EU Accession a Success Story” by the European Policy Centre (EPC), which explores Montenegro as a test case for the EU’s ability to demonstrate its current political commitment to making enlargement a success story again, while reconciling geopolitics and merits. The publication is only available in English.

Belgium has a new government

A colourful coalition after 234 days of negotiations

“Alea iacta est - the die is cast” - announced Bart De Wever, the leader of the Flemish Nationalists (N-VA) and Belgium's new Prime Minister, on 31 January late in the evening on the platform X. The new government was thus sealed after months of tough negotiations. The former “Vivaldi” government was replaced by the “Arizona” coalition - named after the colours of the parties that make up the coalition. This is the first time in Belgium's history that a N-VA politician has taken on government responsibility, but in view of the coalition's composition, a dramatic shift to the right is not to be expected. The challenges for the new government are great.

Pope Francis visits Luxembourg and Belgium

Between criticism and confidence

To mark the 600th anniversary of the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, Pope Francis embarked on a three-day visit to Luxembourg and Belgium on September 26. The last time a Pope visited Belgium was under Pope John Paul II in 1995. Pope John Paul II's visit to Luxembourg dates back four decades. Under the motto “to serve” in Luxembourg and the theme “On the road full of hope” in Belgium, Pope Francis addressed the challenges facing the Church in the 21st century. In secular Luxembourg, he encouraged people to find confidence in their faith. In Belgium, the Pope's visit revealed ambivalence in the public's attitude: on the one hand, encouragement from the faithful - on the other, the deep-rooted tensions in society and the Catholic Church, or between the two, came to light. Sexual abuse, the role of women and the process of beatification for King Baudouin dominated the public debate and provoked massive criticism.

The election of Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission

An analysis after the 2024 European elections

The center holds” - this is what Ursula von der Leyen announced on the evening of June 9 after the first projections of the European election results from the 27 European member states came in. She was proved right - the center has held: Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected Commission President on July 18 with a comfortable majority of 401 votes, presumably made up of votes from the pro-European centrist groups, i.e. the European People's Party (EPP), the Social Democrats (S&D), the Liberals and also the Greens, in a secret ballot. Her “declaration” - a kind of candidacy speech to the plenary of the European Parliament - was based on political guidelines for the next European Commission 2024-2029, which had been published shortly before her speech

Liber Amicorum: Making Europe Happen

The politics and impact of Klaus Welle ― Essays on his 60th birthday

Klaus Welle was Secretary-General of the European Parliament from March 2009 to December 2022. In this set of essays in Klaus’s honour, published to mark his 60th birthday, friends and former colleagues in the EU institutions write about the impact he made on the Brussels scene, and notably on the development of the European Parliament, during his tenure at the administrative helm of the Union’s only directly-elected institution.

The European Elections from the Inside

Election coverage issued by the European Office of the Konrad- Adenauer-Stiftung on the 2024 European elections

The election report "European Elections from the Inside" presents the results of the 2024 elections to the European Parliament from a European and national perspective. Together with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung offices across Europe, a concise overview was compiled for each of the 27 member states of the European Union (EU), which analyses the results in the respective countries against the backdrop of current developments. The series of reports is intended to contribute to a deeper understanding of the overall outcome of the 2024 European elections.

Surprising Election Results in Belgium

Victory of the "lesser evil" confirms Belgium's Shift to the Right

The Resultate of the Belgian elections surprised everyone - including the winners themselves. The N-VA, which became the strongest force at federal and Flemish level, is celebrating its victory - with its leader Bart de Wever at its centre. Despite this surprise, the election in Belgium confirmed the country's shift to the right - led by the nationalist N-VA and followed by the right-wing populist Vlaams Belang. The polarisation between the regions - albeit slightly weakened – remains lasting and will make it difficult to form a government at national level.