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Europe’s invisible divides: How covid-19 is polarising European politics
Europe’s covid-19 experience has been a tale of two pandemics – and the differences in each story could haunt the continent for many years to come
The fall of the Afghan government and what it means for Europe
ECFR’s policy experts examine what the Taliban takeover means for countries and regions around the world: Europe, the US, the Middle East, Russia, China, Iran, Turkey, and the Sahel
Why Afghanistan was not a failure of European strategic autonomy
Hand-wringing over Europe’s supposed failure to step up in Afghanistan ignores the fact that Europeans were principally there to support the US
Fish and ships: Chinese fishing and Europe’s Indo-Pacific strategy
Beijing instrumentalises its fishing fleet for geopolitical gain, as evidenced by its policy on the South China Sea. Europe cannot be a bystander on the issue.
Podcasts
The fall of the Afghan government and what it means for Europe
How will the Western withdrawal impact on the state of European defence and military capabilities?
Featured projects
European Sovereignty
To prosper and maintain their independence in a world of geopolitical competition, the EU needs to learn to think like a geopolitical power
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Re:shape Global Europe
The project strives to engage citizens across Europe and generate a wide debate about the purpose of European power in the twenty-first century
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Public opinion polling
Through polling in EU member states, ECFR’s analysis seeks to unlock shifting coalitions in Europe that favour a more internationally engaged union
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Latest
The China factor in the German election
Germany will find it increasingly hard to maintain its current level of prosperity – and security – without charting a new course on China. Fortunately, German voters seem ready for change.
Memory culture for Europe and Africa: A way to deal with the colonial past
European politicians can build stronger relations with African partners if they consider how to make big public statements that recognise the iniquities of their countries’ colonial past
Yemen’s seven years of war: How the new UN envoy can lay foundations for peace
It is time to assemble an anti-Houthi negotiations delegation that reflects the realities on the ground – and that can actually enforce an eventual settlement
The Afghan tragedy and the age of unpeace
The end of the US-led “forever war” in Afghanistan will not bring peace, because the methods that countries use to attack each other have changed. The world has entered a new age of perpetual competition among powerful states.
Flash in the pan: Flooding in Germany and the politics of climate
Recent environmental disasters could sway the result of this month’s election – but no party has yet seized the moment
The capture of Kabul: What the Taliban takeover will mean for Iran’s economy
Iran was more economically dependent on Afghanistan than many people realise. The change of regime will impact on Tehran in four main ways.
Europe needs to think hard about the future of crisis management in its neighbourhood
An extremely important decline that shows great discontent with the governance of the party in recent years
The comment of Lorena Stella Martini on the electoral defeat of the Islamist party at the parliamentary elections in Morocco
Merkel was never ambitious about EU matters as, for example, French President Macron is. Her mastery was to find the least possible change that was just enough to solve a problem. Not more.
ut great-power politics now resemble a loveless marriage: the partners loathe one another but are unable to get divorced
In his op-ed, Mark Leonard looks at the US President’s new policy and explains how the withdrawal from Afghanistan fits into it
More on Africa
Mapping African regional cooperation: How to navigate Africa’s institutional landscape
Regional organisations have proliferated in Africa, with many organisations attempting to address similar issues in similar parts of the continent. Europeans should take stock of the situation they have helped create.
More on Asia
Home advantage: How China’s protected market threatens Europe’s economic power
The EU urgently needs to incorporate the concept and reality of the ‘protected home market advantage’ into its thinking on China
More on European Power
Dark money politics: Why Europe should join Biden’s fight against corruption
European policymakers should set up high-profile national institutions that are charged with tackling corruption and capable of working within an international network
More on Middle East and North Africa
People before politicians: How Europeans can help rebuild Lebanon
Lebanon is home to key strategic interests for the EU, which does not want another failed state on the Mediterranean
More on Wider Europe
Faltering fightback: Zelensky’s piecemeal campaign against Ukraine’s oligarchs
The campaign has encouraged Zelensky’s tendency towards governance through informal means. This has allowed him to act speedily – but it risks letting oligarchic influence return
Views from the Council
Three lessons for Europe from the fall of Afghanistan
Europe needs to take a hard look at what worked and what did not work in Afghanistan. Only then can it gradually and realistically build up its own capacities, rather than aim for grandiose schemes that lack public support.