How can the European Union and its member countries increase their global reach? How should the EU pursue its interests and values through trade and aid policies? Can European civilian and military capabilities be deployed with greater effectiveness in the world’s conflict zones?
Debate over how to help a crisis-striken Bosnia ranges from involvement to encouragement. But a third, unpalatable option for a frustrated EU may lurk just behind the scenes: abandonment
European foreign ministers at the informal Gymnich meeting should take a leaf out of Sun Tzu’s book, and discuss the larger trends shaping Europe’s place in the world rather than institutions and methods
Europe is an easy target for a frustrated Washington. But this misses a fundamental point. The US and Europe are the best allies they’ve each got. Both are declining powers that need to stick together.
Lisbon Treaty, Von Rompuy, Ashton, External Action Service: what does it all mean for Europe?
Daniel Korski et Richard Gowan sur la stratégie de sécurité civilo-militaire de l’UE. L’Europe peut-elle passer de la rhétorique à l’action?
Most Europeans agree that the EU needs to sharpen up its act in multilateral institutions like the G20. The US won’t take us seriously if we don’t. The trouble is working out how.
European defence ministers are meeting at a difficult time, with Robert Gates accusing Europeans of threatening Euro-Atlantic security, and the recent collapse of the Dutch government over Afghanistan. The defence ministers urgently need to re-examine how the continent thinks about its security
While Europe focuses on India and China, a host of medium-sized emerging powers are helping to reshape global diplomacy. Is Europe ready for the rise of the lynchpin states?
Britain’s defence review must take on board how much the world has changed since the late 1900s and focus on preserving Britain’s power and influence, both in and through Europe.
The Munich Security Conference was once again at the centre of foreign policy discussion, but Europe was an intellectual absentee
ECFR agony uncle Richard Gowan offers reassurance to ‘Worried 27’ about their unrequited transatlantic love
The European Parliament votes on the new EU Commission on Tuesday. But for the replacement for the original Bulgarian Commissioner the vote is a minor hurdle compared to the tasks of the next five years
Obama’s snub of the May EU-US summit is tough, but fair. If it wants to be taken seriously on the world stage, the EU must stop complaining and learn from this and other recent disappointments
The eurozone must end its fiscal ambiguity.
Response to the Haiti tragedy; the struggling mission in Afghanistan; the economic crisis. The west is in a ‘20 year crisis’.
The latest issue of China Analysis looks at Beijing’s willingness to strengthen international economic governance, and its authors argue that much thinking in China seems to focus on the short term
The authors of the latest issue of China Analysis argue that Western concerns over “Chindia” - the emergence of a Sino-Indian economic power bloc or strategic alliance - may be unwarranted.
Europe has the US president it wished for, but does Barack Obama have the strong transatlantic partner he wants?
Have broken promises and treating Afghanistan, DR Congo and Iraq like Bosnia left the EU without the capacity to prevent fragile states from becoming failing states?
ECFR publishes a collection of views from key Russian intellectuals.
The EU’s ongoing loss of influence at the UN is putting lives at risk, argues the author of ECFR’s latest paper.
Fears in Europe that China works to lock the US into a “G2” embrace so as to dominate the global agenda do not reflect Chinese experts’ current strategic thinking.
Is a complacent strategy that focuses on gradual change rather than crises losing the EU its battle with Russia for influence in the eastern neighbourhood?
The EU has an opportunity to influence President Obama’s efforts to reform US counterterrorism policy
China is exploiting the EU’s divisions and treating the 27-state bloc with “diplomatic contempt” on issues ranging from trade to the Dalai Lama.
Will the military surge in Afghanistan fail without a civilian surge?
With the pivotal change of leadership in Washington, the US and the EU may have an ideal moment to strengthen the US-EU institutional bond.
Could building a single European market in natural gas be the most effective strategy for the European Union in countering Russia’s divisive energy diplomacy?
In a joint research project with FRIDE, ECFR looks at the EU’s record in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Ukraine, Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco.
The EU’s leverage to promote human rights through the UN has dramatically declined over the last decade, our exclusive report reveals.
This authors analyse the background and developments in the Russia-Georgia conflict and outline recommendations on how to prevent wider political fallout.
European governments cannot afford to move at the speed of the slowest, argues Nick Witney, and should push for a ‘multi-speed’ Europe on ESDP
A piece on the EU and Ukraine, quoting Wilson and Popescu’s recent report.
Korski: “The Anglo-American strategy in Afghanistan has hit an absolute low mark.”
Daniel Korski on what lies ahead for Baroness Ashton.