The revenge of the German elite
Germany's foreign policy establishment responds to accusations of introversion, raising questions about the consequences of a reactivation of German foreign policy with more clearly defined interests
European Power
Making the most of Geneva II
The Geneva II conference on Syria will finally convene in Switzerland next week. Prospects for an immediate or dramatic breakthrough are decidedly bleak, yet that should not be the bar against which the merits of convening Geneva II should be measured.
Why Europe can’t leave Asia to the US
Can Europeans safely ignore rising tensions in the Asia-Pacific? European policymakers may want to focus on their near neighbourhood and the transatlantic relationship but one way or the other they will have to deal with the fallout from rising tensions in Asia
Britain’s Bulgaria-Romania phobia
The panic in Britain over prospective Bulgarian and Romanian immigration is based on a misunderstanding of European rules. It is also at odds with the country's best traditions.
European defence: ten years on
A transformed world poses fundamental military and political questions that Europe's national leaders need to answer. Perhaps the most useful thing this week's summit could do is open the door to a thorough debate on the future of Europe's foreign policy.
Europe’s strategic deficit
At their end-year summit, Europe’s 28 national leaders will take time out from their interminable wrangling over the economic crisis to discuss defence. Many Britons will find this very proposition bizarre, if not offensive.
Ukraine and Bulgaria show power of EU model
There are still countries in Europe where protestors enthusiastically wave the EU's star-studded flag rather than burning it in anger. These days Kiev's embattled EuroMaidan is as much the heart of the Union as the Schuman roundabout in Brussels. So who said Europe lacks a story and a cause?
What does the German coalition agreement mean for the eurozone?
From a European perspective, the German coalition agreement is better that the status quo – but it does not contribute to the economic recovery of the eurozone, and it is disappointing when it comes to banking union
European defence summit: It’s groundhog day again
The run-up to next month’s European defence summit is acquiring a surreal aura, as projects first mooted a decade ago are dusted off for ‘endorsement’ by the assembled national leaders – with no conviction in anyone’s heart that they will fare any better this time around
Third time lucky in Geneva
The E3+3 and Iran met for a third time in Geneva to sign an interim agreement on the future of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. While not perfect, the deal is a springboard for future negotiations and sets a solid foundation for talks between the E3+3 and Iran to continue.