Month: December 2025

Editorial of December 2025

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On the ailing transatlantic partnership and its impact on European integration 

Alessandra Silveira [Editor of this blog, Coordinator of Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence “Digital Citizenship and Technological Sustainability” (CitDig), University of Minho] and Pedro Froufe [Editor of this blog and Coordinator of the Group “Studies in European Union Law” (CEDU), of JUSGOV – Research Centre for Justice and Governance, University of Minho)]

The US National Security Strategy, presented at the beginning of December,[1] is an official State Department document that sets out the fundamental guidelines for US diplomacy – in other words, it defines how the US will relate to the rest of the world over the next three years. The US National Security Strategy has been taken seriously over time – and in this text we will assume that we still live in a world where there are adults in the room, despite the volatility of the ideas put forward within the Trump Administration.[2]  

What is the relevance of this new US Strategy for the world order?  The general feeling is that, if taken seriously, this Strategy reconfigures the concept of sovereignty in the 21st century.[3] In other words, the Strategy officially recognises the existence of zones of vital interest, which the strongest states can naturally dispose of – a kind of division of the world into zones of influence. This would justify the prominence of the US in the so-called “Western Hemisphere”, as well as US access to strategically vital assets – wherever they may exist in the “Western Hemisphere”.

This suggests a revival of the old thesis of “living space” (“Lebensraum”) adopted and amplified with tragic consequences for all of humanity by Nazi Germany’s Third Reich.[4]  This is a geopolitical concept popularised in the 19th century by Friedrich Ratzel and taken up again in the 20th century by Karl Haushofer – whose ideas were exploited and used by the Third Reich. This idea of the indispensability of “living space” was also detected in Vladimir Putin’s narrative, especially in his justifications (at least in his initial ones) for the invasion of Ukraine by the forces of the Russian Federation.

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Beyond legal duty: the new EU solvability rules and the challenge of systemic non-compliance in Member States

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Mariana Cunha Marques (Masters in European Union Law from the School of Law of University of Minho)

The new horizons of consumer credit legislation

Consumer credit is a fundamental instrument, but despite its indispensability, it continues to pose significant risks, especially when granted irresponsibly. This phenomenon has driven up levels of indebtedness and over-indebtedness within the European Union. The new Consumer Credit Directive – Directive 2225/2023 – introduced important innovations, considering its main objective of strengthening consumer protection.

Firstly, we must mention the extension of the scope of application in Article 2, which was vital in order to regulate and adapt to the digital economy and new credit products on the market. Of particular note is Article 2(2)(c), which delimits the application of the Directive, stipulating that its provisions do not apply to credit agreements with a total amount exceeding €100,000. The abolition of the minimum limit allowed its provisions to cover certain types of credit that required stricter regulation, such as high-cost credits or payday/instant loans[1] and “buy now, pay later” solutions.[2] These products can be considered harmful to consumers because they are granted quickly,[3] ignoring the need to assess creditworthiness. Furthermore, they have very high costs, and, in the event of default, the additional costs are exorbitant.[4]

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Education and circular economy: Europe of the regions revived

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Bruno Miguel Saraiva (Masters in European Union Law from the School of Law of the University of Minho)

Though the idea that the transformative effects of high technology are sudden and self-imposing is tempting, this truism collapses when confronted with reality. The digital and internet revolutions may have unfolded within a single human lifetime, yet they were fundamentally transgenerational efforts shaped by people with diverse educations and upbringings.

Arriving at the technological landscape we inhabit today required the combined expertise, unique skills, capabilities and opportunities of individuals with remarkably different backgrounds. The major technological shifts of the 19th and 20th century enabled – and accelerated – further technological development through cross-disciplinary exchange.

This is especially visible in the evolution of programming languages. From Assembly to Elixir, new languages emerge regularly. As they rise in popularity, older ones fade as the pool of proficient users shrinks. This cycle is natural, but not without consequences. Legacy systems underpin everything from warehouses to critical infrastructure. Many rely on “outdated” but highly effective languages that excel at specific tasks – languages shaped during moments of generational transition, when the practices of analog-era experts were translated into digital workflows, data processing, and automation.

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