Research
Energy shock 2.0: Lessons from 2022 for the Hormuz crisis
13 April 2026
If the Strait of Hormuz stays closed, Europe will face as serious an energy crisis as it did in 2022. This time, energy poverty policies must be more targeted, and electrification more ambitious.
One year liberation day: The delusion of transatlantic economic divorce
07 April 2026
A year after Liberation Day, Washington and Brussels are still fighting each other – not China.
WTO reform after Yaoundé: What next for the multilateral trade order?
02 April 2026
The failure of the WTO’s ‘reform ministerial’ deepens the strain on the global trade system. But it also points to a possible path for future co-operation among coalitions of the willing.
War in Iran: Who wins and who loses?
20 March 2026
The attack on Iran by the US and Israel is good news for Russia but bad news for Europe, including Ukraine, and ultimately for the US itself. China could emerge as a long-term winner. Europeans must look after their own interests, regardless of Trump’s wrath.
How to build public support for defence spending in Europe
10 March 2026
Strategies for building a national consensus around higher defence investments and the trade-offs required.
The impact of Brexit on immigration to the UK
09 March 2026
A new analysis finds that Brexit raised the number of foreign-born workers in the UK by about 200,000, but resulted in a more dramatic shift in the countries of origin.
Europe's door to Chinese tech investment is still ajar
04 March 2026
Europe has learned to block Chinese acquisitions of strategic assets. Chinese factories in Europe now pose harder economic security challenges.
Four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine: Four lessons for European leaders
24 February 2026
For their own security as well as Ukraine’s, European leaders must tilt the balance of economic and military advantage against Putin.
The ECB's bid to strengthen the euro's global role
20 February 2026
As dollar dominance wobbles, Europe should boost the euro’s reach, led by bolder liquidity lines from the ECB.
The Mercosur deal tests Europe's geoeconomic ambition
19 February 2026
The struggle to ratify the deal exposes a weakness in Europe's geoeconomic agenda.
Articles
Taking the Pulse: Can NATO Survive the Iran war?
09 April 2026
Carnegie Europe
Donald Trump has repeatedly bashed NATO and European allies, threatening to annex Canada and Greenland and deploring their lack of enthusiasm for his war of choice in Iran. Is this latest round of abuse the final straw?
How has Brexit affected immigration to the UK?
19 March 2026
Encompass
Vote Leave made the end of free movement a central plank of their referendum campaign, and promised that Britain would introduce a ‘points-based system’ if it left the EU.
Trump wants to strongarm Nato into a new Gulf war. Here’s why Europe must resist
18 March 2026
The Guardian
If Europe is sucked into this illegal conflict with Iran, public support for rearmament could collapse – and only Putin will benefit.
Could Viktor Orbán Lose in April?
25 February 2026
Project Syndicate
Before Donald Trump arrived on the scene in the United States, Viktor Orbán’s Hungary had already heralded the rise of populist illiberalism and the new far right.
Europa moet met industriebeleid ‘Tinder spelen’, niet celibatair worden, zegt econoom
14 February 2026
de Volkskrant
Anders dan wat de Europese leiders suggereerden, zijn er geen doorbraken bereikt op de concurrentietop van vorige week donderdag, zegt econoom Sander Tordoir. ‘Het probleem is dat de crisis niet acuut is.’
Wat gebeurt er na de val van de dollar?
13 February 2026
NRC Handelsblad
De zekerheid van de dollar als wereldanker neemt af. Dat schept een kans voor Europa, stelt Sander Tordoir, als het tenminste durft te kiezen.
Press
Hungary opposition delivers ‘regime change’ after 16 years of Viktor Orbán
12 April 2026
Financial Times
As in 2022, Orbán fought the election on the dangers of being dragged into the Ukraine war. But, notes Zselyke Csaky of the Centre for European Reform, people cannot be in fear constantly for four years, so the message lost its relevance and immediacy.
Hungría acude a las urnas y Bruselas contiene la respiración: Orbán se juega su futuro en unas elecciones cruciales
11 April 2026
El Diario
Debido al contexto global, estas elecciones son aún más importantes: los desafíos que enfrenta la UE, desde un motor económico renqueante hasta una Rusia beligerante y unos Estados Unidos hostiles, son más significativos que antes”, explica Zselyke Csaky, investigadora del Centre for European Reform.
Hungary: The election the world’s big powers want to win
10 April 2026
Financial Times
Foreign interference has been a dominant Orbán motif throughout his campaigning for a contest that Zselyke Csáky at the Centre for European Reform in Budapest terms “the EU’s most important election” not just this year but for “quite some time”.
« L'élection la plus importante de l'année en Europe » : en Hongrie, Viktor Orban menacé pour la première fois en seize ans
10 April 2026
Les Echos
« C'est l'élection la plus importante de l'année au sein de l'Union européenne, estime Zselyke Csaky, chercheur au Centre for European Reform. Si Orban est évincé, cela ouvrira la voie à une Hongrie démocratique et une Union européenne plus forte ». S'il gagne, il sera susceptible de « bloquer complètement » le fonctionnement de l'UE, et non plus de simplement « le miner » comme il l'a fait jusqu'à présent.
Orbán’s rival faces uphill battle to unfreeze €17B in EU funds
09 April 2026
Politico
"I think that political dynamics will be more important ... I see a scenario where senior officials such as the head of the supreme court and constitutional court start cooperating with Magyar if he has a sizeable majority," said Zselyke Csaky, a senior fellow at the Centre for European Reform think tank.
Trump and Vance stump for Orban ahead of Hungarian election
08 April 2026
The Globe and Mail
Zselyke Csaky, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, doubted Mr Vance’s visit would do much to change the outcome of the election.
Ms Csaky said Mr Orbán has tried to frame the campaign as a fight against foreign enemies, but voters care more about their economic prospects.
For Fidesz voters, Mr Vance’s visit “shows that Orbán is a global player. But for everyone else that may not be the most important thing, because they don’t necessarily see Hungary winning from that position right now,” she said.
Ms Csaky said Mr Orbán has tried to frame the campaign as a fight against foreign enemies, but voters care more about their economic prospects.
For Fidesz voters, Mr Vance’s visit “shows that Orbán is a global player. But for everyone else that may not be the most important thing, because they don’t necessarily see Hungary winning from that position right now,” she said.
Orbanit toetama saabunud Vance süüdistas EL-i valimistesse sekkumises
08 April 2026
ERR
"Orbani jaoks on eesmärk mobiliseerida valijaid paar päeva enne valimisi, kuid JD Vance ei veena uusi valijaid ega otsustamatuid," ütles Euroopa Reformikeskuse mõttekoja vanemteadur Zselyke Csaky.
Hungary election: EU meddling to topple Viktor Orban, JD Vance says
07 April 2026
The Times
“For Orban, the goal is to mobilize voters a few days before the election, but JD Vance will not convince new voters or the undecided,” said Zselyke Csaky, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform think tank. “For Vance, it seems the trip serves a dual goal: propping up an ally and using it as an opportunity to criticise Brussels and the rest of Europe at the same time.”
Hungarian voters face a big question. JD Vance thinks he has the answer
06 April 2026
The Sydney Morning Herald
So, will Vance make a difference by giving Orban a blessing from the MAGA movement? Probably not, says Zselyke Csaky, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform. Trump has backed Orban several times already, of course.
“It’s not the most important factor in the election campaign,” Csaky tells this masthead.
...“Just like in other countries, people primarily focus on domestic issues, and foreign policy is often a background noise.
“It’s not the most important factor in the election campaign,” Csaky tells this masthead.
...“Just like in other countries, people primarily focus on domestic issues, and foreign policy is often a background noise.
In Hungary’s election it is war versus wallets
04 April 2026
Financial Times
“It is war versus wallets,” says Zselyke Csaky of the Centre for European Reform.
Podcasts
CER podcast: Unpacking Europe: The future of EU-Türkiye relations

26 March 2026
Thomas Maddock spoke with Galip Dalay and Senem Aydin-Düzgit about the future of EU-Türkiye relations and how geopolitical upheaval is changing the relationship.
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Four years of war in Ukraine

24 February 2026
Ian Bond spoke with Andy Hunder and Victoria Vdovychenko about the economic, military and societal situation in Ukraine, four years since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Will 2026 be the year to reset the reset?

11 February 2026
Ian Bond discussed the reset in EU-UK relationship with Anton Spisak and Jannike Wachowiak.
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: The trade implications of ruptures in transatlantic relations

02 February 2026
Elisabetta Cornago discussed the trade implications of ruptures in EU-US relations with Anton Spisak and John Springford.
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Greenland and the NATO alliance

14 January 2026
Armida van Rij and Sten Rynning discuss how the Greenland crisis may become a turning point for the NATO alliance's future direction.
Events

CER Brussels conference: Can Europe be a global power?
18 March 2026
Brussels
Keynote speech by Piotr Serafin, European Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud & Public Administration, European Commission - watch here.

CER/Embassy of Italy lunch on 'NATO's deterrence and defence posture in a changing security landscape'
25 February 2026
London
With Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Chair, Military Committee, NATO

CER/KAS hybrid launch of 'EU-UK relations: Will 2026 be the year to reset the reset?'
04 February 2026
Hybrid London/Zoom
With Ian Bond, Jannike Wachowiak and Kai Whittaker

CER/Swedish Enterprise discussion on 'Resilient growth: Aligning productivity and security'
10 December 2025
Brussels
With Aslak Berg, Zach Meyers, Lotta Nymann-Lindegren, Maive Rute and Anna Stellinger

Conference on 'Europe's precarious bid for third pole economic power'
21 November 2025 to 22 November 2025
Ditchley Park, UK
Speakers included: Elga Bartsch, Agnès Bénassy-Quéré, David Claydon, Arnab Das, Barry Eichengreen, Ole Funke, Francesca Ghiretti, Dirk Klaasen, Silvia Merler, Wolfgang Münchau, Erik Nielsen, Alexander Plekhanov, Hélène Rey, Elina Ribakova, Dorothée Rouzet, Moritz Schularick, Brad Setser, John Springford, Ángel Ubide and Maarten Verwey




