Despite its deep cultural and economic ties, the Levant remains a region of intense and complex relations. Amid escalating tensions following the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, Hezbollah's growing military power and its increasingly pivotal role in Lebanon raise concerns of a broader conflict that could ignite the entire Near East.

The new European Commission will face major challenges, particularly in the area of security and defence policy. The EU has made great progress in this area in recent years. However, responsibility still lies with the member states, which is why solutions must be found to enhance European capabilities - not to replace NATO, but to strengthen the European pillar in the transatlantic security partnership.
The Hanns Seidel Foundation asked international experts to assess the EU's progress and remaining challenges - for the English version of all comments, scroll down and open the English comment fields here.

Strengthening European Defence: How to bolster the industrial base and encourage transnational cooperation?

Continuing cooperation with the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the 7th 'Study Group' meeting on European defence took place in the UK, with Germany, the UK, France, Italy, and Poland participating. Discussions focused on industry cooperation challenges, such as gaps between government and industry aspirations, lack of long-term investment certainty, national competition hindering collaboration, and insufficient urgency among European governments to enhance capabilities despite ongoing conflicts like the war in Ukraine.