Highlights
Featured
Beyond Merkelism: What Europeans expect of post-election Germany
Paradoxically, to fulfil many Europeans’ expectations, Berlin will need to revise the principles of Merkelism that created this trust
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
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
Moving closer: European views of the Indo-Pacific
It will take more than just strong support from France, Germany, and the Netherlands to ensure that the new EU strategy for the Indo-Pacific is effective in the long term
The election to the German Bundestag on 26 September 2021 will have repercussions far beyond Germany. Whoever succeeds Angela Merkel will have a decisive influence on whether and how the country positions itself as a leading power in Europe in the coming years.
ECFR works toward advancing this debate and having a role in shaping the foreign policy agenda of the next German government.
Four ways the new German government can strengthen European trade against economic coercion
Threats to Germany’s and Europe’s economic sovereignty have won too little attention in the German election campaign. But, soon, policymakers in Berlin will have to take decisive steps to build up Europe’s strength against economic coercion.
Lead time: How Germany should move on from Merkel | Episode 2 – China Policy
How should the next German government concretely shape its China policy, and its approach to the Indo-Pacific?
Podcasts
The transatlantic meaning of AUKUS
What does AUKUS mean for the future of transatlantic relations?
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
AUKUS: After the sugar rush
The initial high of announcing AUKUS has faded for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has returned from the United States to face a less congenial domestic agenda
Europe’s post-Afghanistan to-do list
The EU’s approach to foreign policy and economic policy needs to account for the fact that, globally, the space between the two areas is increasingly narrow
Russia, elections, and the West: Ten years later
If the Kremlin sees the Duma election result as a buffer that will allow it to safely prepare for a transition at the top, the Russian political system might still find a way to evolve. But, if it views the result as confirmation that the system works just fine, its ‘victory’ really is a Pyrrhic one.
How G7 leaders can bring the pandemic to an end
Rich countries are hoarding vaccines at the expense of poorer ones – but also to their own detriment. Without extending help to all countries, the whole world will continue to suffer.
After AUKUS: The uncertain future of American and European cooperation in the Indo-Pacific
Europeans – especially the French – want Washington to explain its decision to ally with Australia and the UK. But the EU also needs to decide how to approach the Indo-Pacific.
A new era in Polish-German relations
Germany’s election will bring about a new phase in its relationship with Poland, one that is driven less by the still-vivid legacy of the past and more by pragmatism and interests
The end of the Merkel era also brings the end of great party victories in Germany. Today in Berlin there is a series of semi-winners.
German fondness for the idea of a European army largely reflects the country’s continuing discomfort with national military power — and a vague sense that the EU stands for peace
Ulrike Franke refers to her latest ECFR analysis on the foreign and defence policies of Germany’s political parties
Most Germans seems to want a change, at least when it comes to who leads the government coalition
The three AUKUS countries could have explained their actions to France, and to the EU. Frankly, the political price to be paid – the price of trust – will unfortunately be high.
Interview with Vessela Tcherneva on Afghanistan, the German elections, the AUTUS, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, and others
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
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
More on European Power
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
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
Autonomous in Afghanistan: How the Europeans could have stayed after US withdrawal
A European force that remained even as the Americans left could have provided a powerful psychological boost to Afghan forces – and such an operation should have been well within European capabilities