Ten trends for 2012
After a frenetic 2011, what are the big trends that are going to shape Europe and the wider world in 2012? Here are ten that ECFR experts think are likely – and one widely predicted trend that we don't think will happen…
Middle East and North Africa
The EU and Algeria: reasons for hope
Algeria did not catch fire in the year of the Arab Spring, but this does not mean that it does not deserve the attention of the EU. Algeria needs to reform if it is to remain stable, and it needs European help to do so.
How not to intervene in Syria
The hunt is on for ways to offer security and aid to Syrian civilians, but the risk of any military-humanitarian mission backfiring is high. The lessons of Darfur are that any peacekeepers would be targeted, especially as the unrest turns into full-scale war.
China’s desert-dance in Libya
As its international profile and interests grow, China's foreign policies – now those of a great power – are coming under increasing scrutiny. Here are the four fault lines that are forming in how Beijing deals with the world.
Why enlargement-lite will not save the Arab Spring
The European Union has a vital role to play in helping consolidate the transitions of the Arab Spring. But first they need to rethink their approach and develop a new foreign policy for the Southern neighbourhood: Enlargement lite will not work.
Europe’s multipolar neighbourhood
The upheavels in North Africa are further evidence that the EU's neighbourhood has fundamentally changed, both to the south and to the east. In response, the EU needs to develop a real foreign policy to deal with this increasingly competitive region.
Ten reasons for a European ‘yes’
There are 10 good reasons for Europeans to support enhanced UN status for the Palestinians. There is also an eleventh reason: the 27 EU nations can show that they count on the world stage if they are able to stick together.
Why the EU should abstain on the Palestinian issue in the UNGA
Europeans have much to gain from unity during any vote at the United Nations supporting Palestinian statehood. However the best response to a complex situation is to abstain. A response to ECFR's recent memo in favour of a 'yes' vote.
Who is the next Egyptian pharaoh?
Egypt's transition towards democracy is a delicate work in progress. The identity of the new leader – the new 'pharaoh' – of a third of all Arabs will be crucial if the transition is to be a successful one.
Germany’s contribution to the Arab Spring: arms sales
Berlin's failure to support intervention in Libya but willingness to arm Saudi Arabia shows the central contradiction in a foreign policy that is increasingly driven by the needs of a geoeconomic power's export industry.