How the fight against Russian agents in Poland could destroy democracy
Under the guise of fighting “Russian influence”, the Polish government is preparing to attack and disqualify its opponents
National Politics
Baltic defence: Why NATO should persuade Turkey to admit Sweden
The longer that Ankara delays Swedish membership of NATO, the harder it may become to sustain public support and prepare effective Baltic defence
East side story: Poland’s new role in the European Union
Poland will need to expand the boundaries of its influence in order to transform its wartime political capital into real leadership in the EU
Easy prey? Russia’s influence in Bulgaria
Newly released investigations have shed light on how corruption and the weak rule of law in Bulgaria enable Russian influence to thrive
A battle on two fronts: Poland, Germany, and the rule of law
How has the war in Ukraine affected Polish politics and Poland’s relationship to its neighbours and the EU?
The moment to choose: How migration politics could damage the Meloni government’s EU credentials
The Meloni government has largely adopted a ‘Russia-pragmatic’ approach to its EU and Ukraine policies. But pressure over migration within the coalition could harm relations with other European states
Backsliding democracy: Zsuzsanna Szelenyi on Hungary
What would the freezing of EU-funds mean for Hungary-EU relations and Hungary’s role in the union?
15 years of ECFR: Reflections on Europe in a tumultuous world
We turned 15! Time to reflect on the past years and ECFR’s role in helping Europe find a strong, united voice
8 Nov
The role of Germany in Europe in times of war: Potential for German-Bulgarian cooperation
We will discuss Germany’s role in Europe and will reflect on how the new European order is viewed in Berlin
27 Oct
Il Circolo dell’ECFR: Il nuovo governo e la proiezione internazionale dell’Italia
Lo European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, Formiche ed il Centro Studi Americani organizzano a Roma una nuova edizione de Il Circolo dell’ECFR su come e se cambierà la politica estera italiana del prossimo governo
Publications
A certain idea of Europe: How the next French president can lead
The next French president should pursue a strong European foreign policy agenda to protect Europeans against the threats they are most concerned about
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
What Europeans really feel: The battle for the political system
Support for membership of the European Union is currently high, but so too is pessimism about the future of the European project
The Young and the Restful: Why young Germans have no vision for Europe
Polls and interviews conducted for the paper indicate that German millennials are surprisingly conservative and liable to status quo bias
Europe and its discontents: Poland’s collision course with the European Union
If Poland continues to drift away from the EU it will not only diminish its own influence, but also undermine the EU’s internal cohesion
Articles
How the fight against Russian agents in Poland could destroy democracy
Under the guise of fighting “Russian influence”, the Polish government is preparing to attack and disqualify its opponents
Baltic defence: Why NATO should persuade Turkey to admit Sweden
The longer that Ankara delays Swedish membership of NATO, the harder it may become to sustain public support and prepare effective Baltic defence
East side story: Poland’s new role in the European Union
Poland will need to expand the boundaries of its influence in order to transform its wartime political capital into real leadership in the EU
Easy prey? Russia’s influence in Bulgaria
Newly released investigations have shed light on how corruption and the weak rule of law in Bulgaria enable Russian influence to thrive
The moment to choose: How migration politics could damage the Meloni government’s EU credentials
The Meloni government has largely adopted a ‘Russia-pragmatic’ approach to its EU and Ukraine policies. But pressure over migration within the coalition could harm relations with other European states
Mind the gaps: The pending suspension of Hungary’s EU funds
The European Commission’s agreement with Hungary on anti-corruption reforms is significant. But, even if the Hungarian government does implement them, the measures alone are not sufficient to reverse democratic backsliding in the country.
Orban’s integrity office: Everything is legal but nothing is democratic
Viktor Orban has had 12 years to learn how to circumvent democratic reforms. The European Commission should bide its time in assessing whether to suspend funding to Hungary.
The Draghi effect: Italy’s new-old national interest
The prospect of a Brothers of Italy-led government is causing worry in capitals across Europe. But the party is having to devise a foreign policy approach within the bounds of Europeanism and transatlanticism.
Truss versus Sunak: The foreign policy of Britain’s next prime minister
The early debates between candidates Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak lack any recognition of how Britain’s biggest foreign policy challenges relate to one another
Bulgaria’s European awakening
Bulgaria’s reformist government may have fallen, but this is a new era for the country. Policymakers should now build on Bulgarians’ growing sense of common purpose.
Specials
The 2019 European election: How anti-Europeans plan to wreck Europe and what can be done to stop it
Summary With anti-Europeans on their way to winning more than one-third of seats in the next European Parliament, the stakes in the May 2019 election…
Podcasts
A battle on two fronts: Poland, Germany, and the rule of law
How has the war in Ukraine affected Polish politics and Poland’s relationship to its neighbours and the EU?
Backsliding democracy: Zsuzsanna Szelenyi on Hungary
What would the freezing of EU-funds mean for Hungary-EU relations and Hungary’s role in the union?
15 years of ECFR: Reflections on Europe in a tumultuous world
We turned 15! Time to reflect on the past years and ECFR’s role in helping Europe find a strong, united voice
Giorgia on my mind: The Italian election and European foreign policy
Mark Leonard and his guests discuss the implications of the new government in Rome and its foreign policy agenda, including Russia and China
The age of the strongman
What defines a strongman, and what varieties of this curious species exist? Are there any strongwomen? And when did the age of strongmen really begin?
What a Le Pen presidency would mean for Europe and the world
How would a Le Pen presidency affect Europe and the world?
How Putin’s war is shaping France’s election
What kind of role did foreign policy play in the election campaigns before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and what role is it playing now?
Out of Order: the Polish Constitutional Court’s challenge to the European Union
What steps can the EU take to defend its legal order and protect the authority of the CJEU?
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?
Lead time: How Germany should move on from Merkel | Episode 1 – Climate Policy
Whoever wins the election, the next German government must approach climate action more systematically and in a more sustained fashion
Events
8 Nov
The role of Germany in Europe in times of war: Potential for German-Bulgarian cooperation
We will discuss Germany’s role in Europe and will reflect on how the new European order is viewed in Berlin
27 Oct
Il Circolo dell’ECFR: Il nuovo governo e la proiezione internazionale dell’Italia
Lo European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, Formiche ed il Centro Studi Americani organizzano a Roma una nuova edizione de Il Circolo dell’ECFR su come e se cambierà la politica estera italiana del prossimo governo
31 Mar
The battle for the Elysee
ECFR is collaborating with De Balie to discuss France’s political future and the impact of the election result on European integration and solidarity
10 Mar
A new era for Europe: Do Europeans trust France on Russia?
Our panel will discuss insights from new public opinion polling of 15,000 citizens across 12 EU member states, captured in the upcoming report by Susi Dennison and Tara Varma.
8 Feb
Japanese and EU Indo-Pacific policies after the German and Japanese elections
How will the new administrations in Germany and Japan impact the EU’s and Japanese Indo-Pacific strategy and China policy?
14 Dec
Traffic light coalition seen from the outside: what does Europe think?
What are the expectations of the coalition´s foreign and security policies? Will Germany’s ambitious climate policy spark mirroring across the bloc?
2 Dec
Resilient Recovery: Best practices from Romania, Poland, Greece and Bulgaria
The European Union has made efforts towards its vision of Europe as the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, as laid out in the European Green…
27 Sep
German elections debriefing: results are in, what’s next?
Which coalition is likely? Who are the winners and losers, and likely candidates for main political jobs?
24 Sep
The Post-Merkel Era: Towards More or Less European Solidarity?
On this night at De Balie we will discuss Germany’s political future and the impact of the election result on European integration and solidarity
14 Sep
Beyond Merkelism: What do Europeans expect from post-Merkel Germany?
What do European citizens expect from Germany’s next government, after 16 years of Angela Merkel? With little over a week to go until the elections, join a panel of pundits to analyse ECFR’s latest survey of attitudes of 16,000 citizens across 12 EU countries
In the media
Célia Belin, Majda Ruge and Jeremy Shapiro are the authors of this article analyzing the consequences of 2024 US Presidential Election on Europe
Sánchez might think that he can capitalise on the weakness of two leftist parties to attract votes from them and fortify his own position among progressives
José Ignacio Torreblanca’s analysis on Spanish Prime Minister’s gamble on snap general election
When they can’t explain their actions or the complexity of the world surrounding us, politicians often resort to nationalism and polarisation
Before President Duda announced his surprising decision not to sign the bill and to refer it to the Julia Przyłębska Court, the signals from the EC were clear: the KPO funds were up for grabs
The People’s Party is a classic center-right party and is very pro-European, so in some instances it might work better with Macron and Scholz than with Meloni
José Ignacio Torreblanca explains how the results of the upcoming elections in Spain, with a likely victory for the People’s Party, might affect European politics