Denmark’s Zeitenwende
Denmark’s decision to end its opt-out from EU defence shows that it is still possible to win referendums on closer European integration. Yet it does not signal a broader shift in the country’s EU policy.
ECFR Council
19 Jun
Annual Council Meeting 2022 – Zeitenwende for Europe: Building a new global order in times of unpeace
Just days ahead of the G7, EU and NATO summits, ECFR’s Council Members – Europe’s leading decision-makers, opinion-shapers, and public intellectuals – gathered on 19-20 June in Berlin for the ECFR Annual Council Meeting
NordNATO: Why the case for Finland to join NATO is stronger than ever
Finland has redefined its security interest, leading it inexorably towards NATO membership. If Sweden joins too, a significant new regional grouping within the alliance could emerge.
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.
Mixmaster Orban: Why Hungary’s prime minister keeps changing his tune
The EU should not fall for Orban’s attempts to distance himself from Putin. The Hungarian leader may now present himself as a pillar of European unity but, fundamentally, he has not changed.
A new Versailles declaration for Ukraine
When EU member states meet in Versailles on 10 March, they should offer Ukraine a strong welcome through a political declaration that recognises its European future
In this moment of crisis, opening the door to Ukraine is one thing the EU can do
Zelensky and his people are fighting for their lives to defend European values. They have earned the prospect of EU membership once this brutal war is over.
Why Europe’s energy industry is vulnerable to cyber-attacks
Global energy infrastructure is highly vulnerable to cyber-attacks. The EU should address this vulnerability as part of its defence against Russian aggression.
The case for green strategic autonomy
The EU should do far more to reduce its dependence on imports of energy and critical raw materials. This would help the union preserve its independence in an increasingly dangerous world.
What now?
In this age of danger, we will need a strong EU and a strong NATO
Articles
Denmark’s Zeitenwende
Denmark’s decision to end its opt-out from EU defence shows that it is still possible to win referendums on closer European integration. Yet it does not signal a broader shift in the country’s EU policy.
NordNATO: Why the case for Finland to join NATO is stronger than ever
Finland has redefined its security interest, leading it inexorably towards NATO membership. If Sweden joins too, a significant new regional grouping within the alliance could emerge.
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.
Mixmaster Orban: Why Hungary’s prime minister keeps changing his tune
The EU should not fall for Orban’s attempts to distance himself from Putin. The Hungarian leader may now present himself as a pillar of European unity but, fundamentally, he has not changed.
A new Versailles declaration for Ukraine
When EU member states meet in Versailles on 10 March, they should offer Ukraine a strong welcome through a political declaration that recognises its European future
In this moment of crisis, opening the door to Ukraine is one thing the EU can do
Zelensky and his people are fighting for their lives to defend European values. They have earned the prospect of EU membership once this brutal war is over.
Why Europe’s energy industry is vulnerable to cyber-attacks
Global energy infrastructure is highly vulnerable to cyber-attacks. The EU should address this vulnerability as part of its defence against Russian aggression.
The case for green strategic autonomy
The EU should do far more to reduce its dependence on imports of energy and critical raw materials. This would help the union preserve its independence in an increasingly dangerous world.
What now?
In this age of danger, we will need a strong EU and a strong NATO
EU defence facing Russia: Eastern European security after the invasion of Ukraine
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has forced the EU to reassess its security and defence policy. For the EU’s eastern member states, the changes underway are long overdue.
Podcasts
A fair, green and digital recovery – brought to you by Portugal
How can the Portuguese presidency strengthen European strategic autonomy?
Europe’s battle of narratives
How can Europe win the global battle of narratives during the covid-19 pandemic and a struggle for geopolitical influence?
From fragility to vitality – Analysing von der Leyen’s #SOTEU
Ursula von der Leyen’s first State of the European Union speech was as long as it was broad in topics and calls for action. Host…
Surveillance and the inevitable AI future
In this week’s episode, we feature one of the focus sessions from our Annual Council Meeting this June. Policy Fellow Ulrike Franke moderated this online…
ECFR Clips: In defence of Europe
ECFR council member Loukas Tsoukalis, Professor at the University of Athens, puts the blame for the rise of euroscepticism on the eurozone crisis and a…
ECFR’s World in 30 Minutes: Europe’s interrelated crises
ECFR’s director Mark Leonard speaks with Ivan Krastev, Chairman of the Center for Liberal Strategies in Sofia and ECFR board member, Sir Robert Cooper, former…
Events
19 Jun
Annual Council Meeting 2022 – Zeitenwende for Europe: Building a new global order in times of unpeace
Just days ahead of the G7, EU and NATO summits, ECFR’s Council Members – Europe’s leading decision-makers, opinion-shapers, and public intellectuals – gathered on 19-20 June in Berlin for the ECFR Annual Council Meeting
9 Dec
Annual Council Meeting 2021
ECFR’s Council Members – Europe’s leading decision-makers, opinion-shapers, and public intellectuals – gathered 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
22 Sep
La geopolitica del Tech. Come la tecnologia influenza il potere europeo
Riunione Annuale dei Consiglieri italiani di ECFR
12 Mar
Europäische Außenpolitik gestalten: Gespräch mit EAD Generalsekretär Stefano Sannino
Prioritäten & Herausforderungen Europäischer Außenpolitik, sowie Deutschlands Rolle in diesem Kontext
29 Sep
Tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean: Europe’s mediatory power & Turkish-Greek reconciliation
Virtual debate ahead of the special European Council on Europe’s mediatory power in the Eastern Mediterranean
17 Sep
Estonia in the EU – Punching above its weight?
Roundtable discussion with our partners from the Estonian Foreign Policy Centre, the International Centre for Defence and Security and the Estonian Embassy in Berlin
7 Mar
ECFR Abenddiskussion anlässlich des Board-Treffens
Special ECFR dinner on March 7th focussed on European approaches to the refugee crisis with a kick-off statement by the head of the Federal Chancellery Peter Altmaier.
4 Mar
Conférence “La posture stratégique nord-coréenne, logique et démesure”
Avec Antoine Bondaz, Mathieu Duchâtel et Bruno Tertrais
26 Feb
What next for US-Russia relations? The view from Moscow
How does Moscow view the prospects for co-operation with the US?
25 Feb
Jak kryzysy międzynarodowe zmieniają UE?
Według najnowszego rapotu ECFR Scorecard 2016 Europa znalazła się w cieniu dominujących potęg
In the media
Biden must seriously consider the costs of his passivity vis-a-vis Iran and find a way forward — or we may find ourselves in another conflict that no one asked for
ECFR Board Members Carl Bildt and Javier Solana remind that we should not forget about Iran and its expanding nuclear program
Finland and Sweden no longer view NATO membership as a strategic choice. Since February 24, it has become an existential imperative.
ECFR Co-Chair Carl Bildt explains how Finland’s and Sweden’s accession to NATO will alter the European security architecture
A sovereign and secure Europe does not come for free. The moment to invest decisively in an EU capable of action and defense is now.
ECFR Board and Council member Franziska Brantner calls for more investment in the EU’s strategic sovereignty in the military, digital, energy and economic sectors
Putin’s record as head of Russia is a long descent into hell for a country that now finds itself plunged against its will into a war against a people claimed as its own
To restore Russia’s status as a great military power, the head of the Kremlin has sacrificed everything else, observes Sylvie Kauffmann, ECFR Board and Council member
While France wishes to raise its profile in European foreign policy, including relations with Russia, alienating Central and Eastern Europeans is not a sustainable way to do it
ECFR Council member Kristi Raik examines why President Macron’s efforts to de-escalate tensions with Russia have been met with suspicion – citing ECFR’s recent poll on Ukraine