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
ECFR’s Council Members – Europe’s leading decision-makers, opinion-shapers, and public intellectuals – will gather together on 9-10 December in Berlin for ECFR’s Annual Council Meeting to connect and discuss the myriad issues facing Europe and the European Union today
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
Syria’s war, Europe’s problem
What does the re-engagement of regional actors mean for the future of Syria? And what role can Europe play to create breathing space in the country?
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
Why Russia could invade Ukraine again
Many European leaders do not seem to grasp the seriousness of this moment in the Ukrainian conflict. Unless the West makes a greater effort to counter Russian military coercion, there is no guarantee that Russia will stop with Ukraine.
Why connectivity can strengthen European sovereignty
The European Union is a success story of economic integration and interconnection. Europe can draw on this experience to become a leader and sought-after partner in fair connectivity worldwide.
Russia, Wagner Group, and Mali: How European fears weaken European policy
Europeans reacted sharply to the news of Wagner Group’s interest in Mali – and interviews suggest the company has been present in the country. But European states and the EU remain the dominant security and development player in the Sahel.
Small victories: Why US-Russia relations could improve under Biden
The Biden administration’s approach to Nord Stream 2 indicates that it could ease the pressure on Russia in some of the most important spheres. But a new crisis could quickly lead to a new low in US-Russia relations.
European trade and strategy in the Indo-Pacific: Why the EU should join the CPTPP
The EU’s strongest asset remains trade. If it makes the most of this, it could prove highly welcome to Indo-Pacific countries considering China’s application to join the regional CPTPP trade agreement.
How the German “traffic light” coalition can solve the EU border crisis
Germany’s new government could defuse the conflict between Poland and Belarus by demonstrating greater toughness on Lukashenka and showing willingness to accept a limited number of migrants. And the EU should be ready to use its most effective weapon: trade.
Rather than eliminating tensions between countries, connectivity offers new means of competing and engaging in conflict
They tried to cover it up in the coalition agreement, but the text remains very open
Jana Puglierin sees conflict potential between the three “traffic light” parties on fundamental EU issues
The policy of remaining neutral and avoiding tough solutions to Europe’s predicaments does not seem to be a viable approach to the challenges ahead
Jana Puglierin and Piotr Buras’s “Beyond Merkelism” policy brief is quoted by EuroActiv
If Europe is to maintain this stance, it will have to urgently find ways to square the circle of maintaining fidelity to democracy and healing the split between the prime minister and protest movement
Theodore Murphy’s recent commentary on Sudan’s new political agreement is quoted by Politico
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.