The Vatican’s Way of Shaping Global Diplomacy
In today’s newsletter, we touch upon the weekend’s events at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City and their potential impact on the future of global diplomacy. A Reason to Seek Diplomatic Solutions On Saturday, the saddest day for millions of Christians around the world, the Vatican achieved a remarkable feat where Europe and its leaders […]
Can European digital and tech regulatory environment sustain competitiveness and security?
Following the latest EU Commission fines on Apple and Meta, the question rises — in its effort to boost European competitiveness and security, is European Commission unintentionally pushing out American companies for Chinese counterparts? On Wednesday, 23 April, two US tech giants received the first fines from the European Commission under the Digital Market Act: […]
The First Omnibus Proposals: Simpler sustainable reporting, increased competitiveness
In this week’s newsletter, we touch upon the European Commission’s Omnibus proposals, which aim to simplify certain sustainability requirements for businesses to promote innovation and competitiveness in the EU. Enjoy! Omnibus I and II Proposals In February 2025, the European Commission presented the first two Omnibus proposals, the first deliverables in a package of so-called […]
From Space to AI: The US and the EU tensions in the global tech race
In this week’s newsletter, we look at the Blue Origin launch and what it reveals about the EU space market, along with the latest developments in European and US AI. Enjoy! The New Shepard Blue Origin launch On Monday afternoon, a crew of six launched into space for an 11-minute flight on a rocket belonging […]
Geopolitical Shifts: EU-Central Asia Partnership and Finland’s Response to Security Threats
This week, we explore the outcome of the first EU–Central Asia Summit, along with Finland’s strategic response to emerging security threats. Enjoy! The First EU-Central Asia Summit in Samarkand On 4 April, EU representatives met with the leaders of five countries from Central Asia – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – at the first […]
B&K Agency hosted its Annual Aperitif & Dinner reception in Verona
Last week, B&K Agency hosted our Annual Aperitif & Dinner reception alongside the renowned Italian wine fair VinItaly in Verona. Each year, we are delighted to welcome our partners, clients, and distinguished European stakeholders from the realms of business, government and civil society for an exclusive evening of wine tasting and networking. This year’s event […]
Liberation Day Aftermath: The New Reality for European Trade
Today, we look at the new ‘reciprocal’ tariffs announced by the Trump administration, their potential effect on the European Union – focusing on the steel and aluminium industries – and the European response. ‘Liberation Day’ On 2 April, dubbed ‘Liberation Day’, the Trump administration presented a series of reciprocal tariffs on imports in a move […]
Türkiye and the future of European defence
This week, we look at the latest events in Türkiye that have heightened political tensions in the country, and the recently published White Paper that is set to change the future of European defence. Enjoy! Türkiye in turmoil – Protests over the arrest of Erdoğan’s rival Ekrem İmamoğlu On 19 March, Ekrem İmamoğlu, the current […]
Europe’s trade with the U.S. and defence policy have taken a big turn in the past few weeks. The U.S. has been making some tough decisions on tariffs, which suggests it is using economic pressure to try to change trade agreements. At the same time, the European Parliament has just given the green light to […]
German Elections 2025: A Shift in the Political Landscape
The 2025 federal election in Germany marked a significant shift in the political landscape, with the conservative CDU/CSU alliance emerging as the victor. Despite winning the most votes, the mood at the party’s headquarters was subdued. The conservatives managed to secure about 28% of the vote, which fell short of their campaign goal of “30% […]