How “frugality” hurts the climate cause – and how to undo the damage
Member states that dug their heels in during the EU recovery negotiations should now form a new climate coalition to achieve more than the July deal
Cohesion & Governance
Poland in the EU: How to lose friends and alienate people
Poland was once the leading voice of the EU’s east. But smaller countries such as Lithuania have overtaken it in responding to the situation in Belarus
Where there’s a will, there’s a way: France, Germany and EU coalition building
In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard presents the new and third edition of ECFR´s Coalition explorer, which also included special questions regarding the impact of…
The Brexit parenthesis: Three ways the pandemic is changing UK politics
The shock of covid-19 in Britain may end the culture-wars politics set off by the Brexit referendum
Dependent on the ‘kindness of strangers’: Britain’s post-Brexit border reality
The UK wants to “take back control” of its borders – but is now finding out the reality of what this means
Beware of mission-accomplished syndrome: Germany and European defence
It is ill-advised for Germany to be complacent on common European defence – especially at a moment when the country holds the presidency of the Council of the EU
Why Europe needs a recovery plan for strategic autonomy
Just as they have on the economic recovery, Berlin and Paris must overcome their differences and present a courageous plan to create a Europe that takes decisive geopolitical action
The limits of “no, no, no”: Why the Dutch are so ambivalent about Europe
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is stuck between European partners urging him to engage in Europe at this critical moment and a growing chorus at home threatening to punish him if he does so
Bulgaria’s anti-corruption protests explained – and why they matter for the EU
European leaders have stood by as Bulgarians demand real reform on corruption. But such silence will only harm the EU in the long run
The proof of the European Council pudding will be in the eating
EU leaders need to show that they are not only capable of reaching an agreement between themselves, but also of shaping the post-coronavirus world