Diplomacy & Defense Think Tank News

On Thursday 14 August, the European Commission approved €264 million in Hungarian state aid for the construction of Sunwoda's electric vehicle battery factory in Nyíregyháza. In a statement, the EU body ruled that the move complies with regulations.

“I strongly condemn these brutal attacks, a clear sign that Russia rejects peace and chooses terror,” said EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos

The “de minimis” exemption which allowed duty-free imports of goods worth less than €690 to the US runs out on 29 August

“The time when we first had to call all the ministries to get a picture of a crisis is over"

Macron holds his line on Gaza despite US backing of Netanyahu's criticism of France

The reports mark the latest sign of US interest in Greenland, a development Danish foreign minister has described as "unsurprising"

Iran suspended cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency following a 12-day war with Israel in June

Das Konjunkturbarometer des Deutschen Instituts für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW Berlin) sinkt im August leicht auf 92 Punkte. Es ist der zweite Rückgang in Folge, nachdem das Barometer im Juni noch ein Zwei-Jahres-Hoch erreicht hatte. Der Barometerwert entfernt sich damit weiter von der neutralen 100 ...

Population growth due to immigration is often portrayed as a problem rather than a success. This is deeply problematic, not least because Sweden – like Germany – depends on immigration to meet its growing labour market needs

Population growth due to immigration is often portrayed as a problem rather than a success. This is deeply problematic, not least because Sweden – like Germany – depends on immigration to meet its growing labour market needs

Migration wird in Deutschland oft verzerrt und polarisiert diskutiert – dabei ist sie dringend notwendig. Und das Leugnen dieser Realität behindert weiterhin die Entwicklung einer kohärenten nationalen Strategie.

Migration wird in Deutschland oft verzerrt und polarisiert diskutiert – dabei ist sie dringend notwendig. Und das Leugnen dieser Realität behindert weiterhin die Entwicklung einer kohärenten nationalen Strategie.

Drei Studien zu Geflüchteten in Deutschland zehn Jahre nach Ankunft – Willkommensgefühl nimmt deutlich ab, Sorgen vor Fremdenfeindlichkeit steigen – Geflüchtete nehmen Diskriminierung am Arbeits- und Wohnungsmarkt wahr – Einbürgerungsbereitschaft ist hoch – Fluchterfahrung der Mütter nicht ...

In today's edition: Macron decries "illegal" Gaza push, De Wever and Merz urge caution on frozen Russian funds, EU seeks answers from Libya, lawmakers may veto slashing duties on US goods

As the US withdraws from its global leadership role, the EU has a chance to become the destination for talented, aspiring minds from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Recent arrests thrusted the movement – a blend of extremists, conspiracy theorists, and armed zealots – back into the spotlight

The Commission’s proposal to reduce its duties on US exports is needed for Washington to lower its punishing levies on EU cars

Having dissolved parliament last year, the president may soon find himself with little choice but to roll the dice again

The Transatlantic Periscope is an interactive, multimedia tool that brings together expert commentary, high-quality media coverage, official policy documents, quantitative data, social media posts, and gray literature. It will provide on a monthly basis a summary of the most important news concerning the Greek-US relations, as reflected in the media. Below you will find an overview for July 2025.

The Trump administration’s nominee for the next U.S. Ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, fielded questions at the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing on July 9. The Committee has approved the nomination of Kimberly Guilfoyle to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Greece, with 13 to 9 in favor of advancing Guilfoyle’s nomination. The nomination now heads to the full Senate for a final confirmation vote.

According to Vassilis Nedos (Kathimerini), the U.S. has increased its use of key military facilities in Greece, including the strategically located Souda Bay and the northern port of Alexandroupoli, amid heightened tensions in the Middle East and shifting priorities in Washington. For Athens, the expanding US interest in Souda and Alexandroupoli reaffirms the long-term strategic importance of Greek territory in American defense planning.

The Greek government expressed hesitation and caution to comment on the EU-U.S. trade deal on tariffs reached between Ursula von der Leyen and Donald Trump on July 27. Greek Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis, speaking in the Hellenic Parliament, outlined the government’s thoughts on this critical issue. He noted that it puts an end to months of uncertainty following Trump’s election and the “back and forth” with the tariffs, and that is a positive thing. He stressed, however, that the government is studying the agreement to see how it can better manage the problems that will arise in areas of Greece’s commercial interest.

More at: https://transatlanticperiscope.org/relationship/GR#

Analyses on de-Europeanization have lately flourished, re-opening the path to explore whether Europeanization is still relevant for how the European governance system evolves. This article, taking the European climate policy (and in particular the European Green Deal) as a case study, which has been the spearhead of the 2019–2024 European Commission term, suggests the said exploration to focus on the EU climate/green policy. It utilizes the case of Greece, which has set the goal of decarbonization by 2028. It analyses the Greek parties’ public stances during two election periods (national in 2023 and European in 2024) to test whether they are consistent with the EU apparatus and goals. The article concludes by showcasing that Greek parties are relatively distant from being Europeanized in the field of climate policy and suggests revisiting Europeanization to better understand European and Member States’ politics.

Read here the article by Emmanuella Doussis, Head of the Climate and Sustainability Programme, ELIAMEP; Professor, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; George Dikaios, Senior Research Fellow, ELIAMEP, and Marianna Terezaki, Junior Research Fellow, ELIAMEP.

The new issue of the Southeast European and Black Sea Studies Journal is available here.

Cover photo: Tania Malréchauffé, Unsplash