A study by the Pew Research Centers showed that, on average, governments in Europe change at least every two years. In Belgium, Finland and Italy in particular, governments often stay in office for less than a year. This contrasts with Luxembourg, where the average length of government is over four and a half years. In Germany, the average is just under three years.

What is the reason for this? There are various processes that can influence government terms ending prematurely, such as the formation of governments through coalitions – without the need for elections – or early elections when a government collapses before a scheduled election date. Countries such as Belgium, Estonia and Italy often experienced more than two changes of government within one electoral period.

However, it is crucial that a country continues to be governed – even in times when a new parliament is constituted or no stable government can be formed. This is where caretaker governments come into play. The Netherlands, for example, has been led by eleven such governments since the Second World War.

Further information on this topic is available in the article "Many countries in Europe get a new government at least every two years", published in January 2023.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has conducted an analysis of the security situation in the Baltic States, with a focus on Lithuania, within the context of the CSIS International Security Programme. The study examines potential threats from Russia, NATO's response, the requirements for effective deterrence and the goals achieved at the NATO summit in Madrid in 2022.

It is clear that the defence of the Baltic states is of paramount importance to the transatlantic community. Not only the national, but also the personal well-being of the population of these countries is at stake.

It is against this backdrop that the Baltic states have intensified their defence efforts. Lithuania's defence budget has tripled since 2008 and all Baltic states have reached NATO's two percent target. In terms of military personnel in relation to the total population, the Baltic states are far ahead of many other NATO member states. Nevertheless, they have some geostrategic weaknesses. Their geography leaves them little room for strategic manoeuvres. NATO reinforcements would be forced to travel long distances, and the Suwałki corridor between Kaliningrad and Belarus in particular represents an enormous source of danger.

Further details and findings can be found in the study: “Repel, Don’t Expel: Strengthening NATO’s Defense and Deterrence in the Baltic States”, published in July 2023.

This includes strengthening a common environmental and climate protection strategy, deepening cooperation and cohesion between EU member states in the face of global superpowers, promoting educational synergies in Europe, developing a common energy strategy and further developing participatory democracy in Europe.

The analysis of the votes cast highlighted ideas that were widely supported in both countries – such as the call for more educational synergies in Europe – as well as those that were discussed more controversially, such as the proposal for a federal Europe. There were also differences in approval depending on the country, for example with regard to the idea of limiting the powers of the European Commission.

The complete results as well as further details can be found in the final report of the online consultation “Élysée-Vertrag: Gemeinsam in die Zukunft blicken”, which was published in June 2023.

The complete results as well as further details can be found in the final report of the online consultation “Élysée-Vertrag: Gemeinsam in die Zukunft blicken”, which was published in June 2023.

The Atlantic Council has conducted a detailed analysis of the central Mediterranean route – which mainly connects Libya and Tunisia with Italy – to assess the current situation and draw conclusions. One of the findings: Financial assistance to third countries to stem migration is not necessarily the most effective solution and brings with it both long-term challenges and ethical issues. Recipient countries could leverage their influence to use migration movements as a means of exerting further pressure on European states.

The strategy of using migration as a means of imposing costs on other states harbours fundamental problems and could become increasingly important in the coming years. The report by the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats analyses how Belarus instrumentalises migration. Since 2021, this alternative route, which leads via Moscow and Minsk to the Belarusian-Polish border, has become increasingly important. Many EU member states perceive the increase in migration on this route as a deliberate provocation by Belarus and Russia. It is suspected that migration is being instrumentalised and used as political leverage against the EU.

Further information on this topic can be found in the study “Instrumentalized migration and the Belarus crisis: Strategies of legal coercion” from April 2023 and in the essay “Irregular migration from North Africa: Shifting local and regional dynamics” from August 2023.

The question of whether multilateral and bilateral agreements with third countries can be considered an effective migration policy instrument is also addressed in the first issue of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s “Migrationspolitische Debatten”.

Germany has been a consistent participant in the ESC since its inception in 1956 and has taken part almost every year. Germany has won the Eurovision Song Contest twice: in 1982 with Nicole and her song "Ein bisschen Frieden" and in 2010 when Lena triumphed with "Satellite". We have illustrated Germany's rankings in the ESC from 2000 to 2023 for ESC fans.

Further graphics and details on the ESC can be found in the overview articles “Deutschland: Alle Ergebnisse beim ESC” and “Erfolgreichste ESC-Siegertitel in deutschen Charts”.