Highlights
Featured
Part of the problem: A better European approach to human rights in the Middle East and North Africa
European states face accusations of neglecting the matter of human rights in their southern neighbourhood, and even of being complicit. Yet they are failing to maximise the influence they could bring to bear.
9 Dec
Annual Council Meeting 2021
Without a doubt, 2021 will prove one of the most important years in the history of the European Union. To consider how Europeans should respond to the issues facing them, ECFR’s Council Members – Europe’s leading decision-makers, opinion-shapers, and public intellectuals – will gather together on 9-10 of December in Berlin for ECFR’s Annual Council Meeting (ACM).
The young and the restless: Europe, Russia, and the next generation of diplomats in the Eastern Partnership
Young diplomats in Eastern Partnership countries are optimistic and pro-European. Many of them want the EU to become a bolder geopolitical actor.
Russia’s military movements: What they could mean for Ukraine, Europe, and NATO
Russia is mobilising its forces, but much more covertly than in the past. Moscow’s belief that the EU and US will not step in to protect Ukraine could lead it to take direct military action.
Podcasts
The new German coalition’s roadmap for foreign policy
What does the German coalition agreement say about foreign policy issues, China, defence and security?
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
Featured
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
Featured
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
Featured
Latest
Economic arm-twisting is on the rise. Europe must learn how to resist it
Protectionism is not the answer. European countries must build public support for strategic openness.
Europe’s stance on Sudan: Why backing the prime minister may not equate to backing democracy
Divergences are growing between the demands of Sudan’s powerful protest movement and the approach taken by the international community. Both can offer solutions, but they need to move quickly.
Views from the capitals on COP26
COP26 concluded on 13 November with the Glasgow Climate Pact, an agreement that sets out the next phase of the fight against climate change. The pact may have disappointed many, but views of it vary a great deal depending on where you sit. Below, experts from three of ECFR’s offices – in Rome, Paris, and Berlin – discuss the implications of the deal.
After COP26: How the EU and UK can lead efforts to keep 1.5C alive
The EU and UK should strengthen their climate commitments to unlock enhanced global climate action ahead of COP27
Democratic renewal in Europe: Bulgaria joins a growing trend
It has taken three general elections for change to come in Bulgaria – but this week’s parliamentary vote gives cause to hope for genuine action on corruption
France’s presidential election: How the far-right could win
Emmanuel Macron shook French politics from top to bottom. To show he did not bring the house down, he will quickly need to defend his record and reach out to lost voters.
When Turkey is left alone in the room with Russia, its hand is not as strong as it once thought
Asli Aydintasbas comments on the new regional power balances as American and European powers retreat
Instead of copying other powers, the coalition should do a better job of highlighting Germany’s strengths
The agreement between Italy and France shows that the EU is not composed only of Berlin and Paris and that France has no intention of acting unilaterally
Mathilde Ciulla analyzes the Italian-French partnership expressed in the “Quirinale Treaty”
The new government is taking office in a situation that has been heating up on multiple fronts. And when it comes to foreign policy, Olaf Scholz remains a bit of an enigma.
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
What Europeans think about the US-China Cold War
A majority of European citizens believe a new cold war with both China and Russia is under way – but they mostly do not think that their own country is involved
More on European Power
Climate of cooperation: How the EU can help deliver a green grand bargain
The bloc should reframe the international debate on energy security to focus on clean energy resources and efficiency, engaging in the market reforms needed to incentivise this shift
More on Middle East and North Africa
Power play: Europe’s climate diplomacy in the Gulf
If the EU is to achieve its climate and geopolitical goals, it will need to substantially increase its engagement with Gulf states on the European Green Deal
More on Wider Europe
Waves of ambition: Russia’s military build-up in Crimea and the Black Sea
Russia’s capacity to carry out large-scale military operations against Black Sea states allows it to coerce and extort them
Views from the Council
Business and religion in the metaverse
The new reality that Facebook and other companies are building brings immense possibilities but also dangers. It is a business with religious overtones.