Ukraine, Europe, and the power of association: A new way to help aspiring EU states
A new compact could allow Ukraine, Balkans states and others to move closer to the EU and drive reform more powerfully than the current rigid rules
Cohesion & Governance
Europe’s soft-power problem
Although Europe has begun to make up for years of neglect in terms of defence spending, it remains woefully ill-equipped to win over other countries through the power of attraction and persuasion. Each side in the European culture war is uniquely unappealing to billions of people around the world.
Rollercoaster vote: Europe’s future after the French presidential election
A recent TV debate highlighted the ways in which the French presidential election could reshape European politics. A win for Marine Le Pen would pose a terrible threat to France, the EU, and the West.
Law or less: Why Orban’s rule threatens the European project
The goal of preserving European unity could hinder the EU’s fight against democratic backsliding in Hungary. To remain a community of values, the union needs to keep up the pressure on the country’s leader.
Europe’s new economic statecraft: A strong Anti-Coercion Instrument
A strong Anti-Coercion Instrument could help the EU brace for a long-term economic war with Russia and adapt to the new geo-economic order
The true value of European sovereignty
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has underlined the importance of European sovereignty. The EU should now invest boldly in its military capabilities, cyber-defences, energy independence, and economic resilience.
Life punishes those who come too late
The EU should immediately impose a temporary embargo on Russian energy imports. If the union waits any longer, it will be too late – and the political costs will be huge.
Europe’s Russian energy dilemma
The EU should adopt a phased approach to energy sanctions on Russia. This would be more effective than a rushed embargo and would help preserve European unity.
Welcome to the jungle
As a paranoid dictator, Vladimir Putin has survived by eliminating anyone who could pose a threat to him. But now that he has triggered the survival instinct of Europe and the broader West, the world is entering a dangerous new phase of existential conflict.
Italy’s challenging divorce from Russia
Russia’s war on Ukraine has prompted urgent changes in Italian foreign policy. Rome’s efforts to distance itself from Moscow are creating major challenges at home.