Economic Crisis

What does the crisis mean for Europe - its member states, institutions and policies? How can the EU protect, and expand, its project during the crisis? How can Europe use the economic crisis to push for common solutions to global problems?

The economic crisis has hit Europe hard. ECFR's experts have been analysising what the crisis means for the future of the EU's foreign policy and global outlook.

ECFR's work on the crisis

“Europe in a world of crisis”. Both a timely and vast topic. It was also the theme for ECFR’s latest council meeting, held in Stockholm (the current seat of the EU Presidency) on 10-12 May. Click here for more information.
ECFR's Berlin office held a high level meeting on 7 May, dealing with many of the issues posed by the economic crisis. For more information on this event, please click here.
Mark Leonard presented his paper, EU-Russia relations: Is the global economic crisis another false opportunity? at an experts seminar on EU policy on Russia on 23 April 2009.
ECFR and Asia Centre published the March edition of China Analysis: China and the global crisis: Will Beijing be part of the solution?.

See more examples of ECFR's work on the economic crisis in the below commentary pieces.

Commentary

A test cynically calibrated to fix the result

Wolfgang M�nchau - 27 Jul 10

The EU's bank stress tests were flawed. The methodology suffered fundamental problems and was designed to fix the results. As ECFR council member Wolfgang Münchau argues in the Financial Times, if you tried to test the safety of cars using the same method, you would end up in jail.

Coalitions of the weaklings

Richard Gowan - 23 Jul 10

Before the euro crisis, Europe's leaders talked up the EU's global role. Now they are emphasising Europe's weaknesses and turning their backs on important foreign and security issues. In the meantime, crises continue to bubble in places like Sudan and the Middle East. Richard Gowan argues that weakness is not an excuse for inaction, but a reason to work in coalition.

The BRIC bloc

Jos� Ignacio Torreblanca - 07 Jul 10

The Political West (the US, Europe and Japan) are in the doldrums while the BRICs keep growing. A third of world economic growth in the last decade has taken place in BRIC countries. So far, so good for the BRICs. But what next?