‘Political union’: A German Europe or disintegration?
As speculation about a Greek exit from the eurozone continues, Germany is pushing ahead with plans for a new treaty that might result in a transformation of the EU – or its disintegration.
European Power
China – a challenge for France?
Can France still afford to have its own 'China policy'? Historically France has been struggling to build a balanced political and economic relationship with China. But a more effective French 'China policy' will also require more European cooperation.
Markets wrong about ECB
The markets have made a habit of being wrong when analysing decisions made by policy makers trying to fix the euro crisis. Now they've made it clear they are disappointed by the words of Mario Draghi, and they're wrong again.
Reinventing Europe: the Dutch paradox
As part of the ‘Reinvention of Europe’ project, ECFR is publishing a series of papers on the national debates within EU member states about the crisis and the future direction of Europe. The fifth paper in the series examines the situation in the Netherlands ahead of crucial elections.
Multilateralism: Moscow rules?
With Russia due to play a central role in multilateral institutions over the next two years, its obstructionism over Syria does not bode well. However Europeans may find – to their benefit – that it is actually China that calls the shots on the international stage.
There is a euro crisis solution – use the European Stability Mechanism
Granting a banking licence to the European Stability Mechanism, rather than using the European Central Bank, would be a more democratic fix.
The Long Shadow of Ordoliberalism
In its attempts to rescue the euro, Germany is often seen as the odd country out. However, what is seldom understood abroad is that the German position is about more than limiting its own fiscal exposure.
The end of the affair?
Four years after Barack Obama's landmark speech in front of a crowd of 200,000 in Berlin, the transatlantic alliance is fading fast. What went wrong?
A collective failure
Although Mariano Rajoy is distancing himself from the latest package of austerity measures being imposed upon Spain, they are the ultimate aim of a collective failure that must be explained to the Spanish people.
Democracy and the EU’s ‘strategic partnerships’
If the EU has any real aspiration to be a normative power it must rethink its 'strategic partnerships' with the world's other powers, reflecting the importance of values like democracy, rather than ignoring them.