The European political year was marked by profound geopolitical shifts: In response to Donald Trump’s return to the White House and his ambivalent stance toward Ukraine, Europeans significantly strengthened their own security and defence policy, increasingly coordinated by the European Commission.
Its likewise re-elected President Ursula von der Leyen has consistently emphasized the need for progress toward “strategic autonomy” – arguably the most significant leitmotif of contemporary EU politics.
Against this backdrop, and in light of Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine, the Yearbook of European Integration 2025 analyses the political, institutional and societal dynamics of the year.
The 45th edition documents developments between the summers of 2024–2025 and continues the yearbook’s long-standing chronicle of European integration since 1980.
The Yearbook of European Integration 2025 is funded by the European Union under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme. The views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
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