Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni has repeatedly surprised her European counterparts with her alignment with the Western community. But as Italy begins its G7 presidency, she faces the daunting task of maintaining this unity amid rising tensions and challenges
The EU could form coalitions with the African Union at G20 summits on a variety of issues. To prepare for this, it should work with both the current and developing representatives of the organisation
Russia’s war on Ukraine has exposed the weaknesses of the already creaking multilateral system. Europeans need to accept the radical changes that are under way and adapt their approach to international cooperation
A lack of coordination among the world’s states hindered the global response to covid-19. The same problem is now disrupting international efforts to put in place a more effective system to prepare for future pandemics
France is looking to give political impetus to reform of the global financial architecture. Others should swing in behind its gambit
Traditional forms of development multilateralism are losing credibility in the global south – but the EU and its member states can help turn this around
The global nuclear order has so far proven resilient in the face of Russia’s war on Ukraine. European engagement through the EU and NATO can help shore up this uneasy equilibrium
The new US-led economic framework for the Indo-Pacific may have limited power to manage China’s ascendence. But the EU has good reasons to pay attention to the discussions around it
The EU’s efforts to address climate change should place more emphasis on bilateral alliances and partnerships. But these efforts will only be credible if they are firmly rooted in domestic policies
Italy should use its G20 presidency and COP26 co-presidency to help the EU become a major player in green geopolitics and a mediator between competing great powers
Geopolitical tensions are hindering progress in multilateral climate cooperation. The EU should continue to supplement negotiations under the UN climate convention with smaller initiatives that bring together like-minded, ambitious partners
The covid-19 pandemic has brought forward a new agenda for multilateralism, focused on areas including global health, economic recovery, climate, technology, and trade
The Portuguese EU presidency should handle issues in line with European voters’ perceptions of the new reality created by the coronavirus
Despite the existing crises to the multilateral system, the EU possesses a set of specific strengths needed to actually save the system
The turmoil in the current system represents an opportunity for Europeans to shape a new order that meets their strategic needs
Introduction During the cold war, arms control and disarmament agreements helped create a stable equilibrium between NATO and the Warsaw Pact, reducing the…
Brexit has the potential to upset European coordination on development and human rights across the UN system
China has already brought the world “Socialism with Chinese characteristics”. Will its next goal be a “United Nations with Chinese characteristics”?
Taking early steps to tackle humanitarian crises is a chance to show the EU has not entirely lost a sense of strategic purpose and that it is able to meet moral
Europe must learn the lessons of the Iran negotiations and boost Germany’s role at the UN Security Council to combat Russian blocking tactics
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni has repeatedly surprised her European counterparts with her alignment with the Western community. But as Italy begins its G7 presidency, she faces the daunting task of maintaining this unity amid rising tensions and challenges
The EU could form coalitions with the African Union at G20 summits on a variety of issues. To prepare for this, it should work with both the current and developing representatives of the organisation
Russia’s war on Ukraine has exposed the weaknesses of the already creaking multilateral system. Europeans need to accept the radical changes that are under way and adapt their approach to international cooperation
A lack of coordination among the world’s states hindered the global response to covid-19. The same problem is now disrupting international efforts to put in place a more effective system to prepare for future pandemics
France is looking to give political impetus to reform of the global financial architecture. Others should swing in behind its gambit
Traditional forms of development multilateralism are losing credibility in the global south – but the EU and its member states can help turn this around
The global nuclear order has so far proven resilient in the face of Russia’s war on Ukraine. European engagement through the EU and NATO can help shore up this uneasy equilibrium
The new US-led economic framework for the Indo-Pacific may have limited power to manage China’s ascendence. But the EU has good reasons to pay attention to the discussions around it
The EU’s efforts to address climate change should place more emphasis on bilateral alliances and partnerships. But these efforts will only be credible if they are firmly rooted in domestic policies
Italy should use its G20 presidency and COP26 co-presidency to help the EU become a major player in green geopolitics and a mediator between competing great powers
Mark Leonard is joined by Alex Stubb, Lykke Friis, and Camille Grand, to discuss the outcomes of the NATO summit in Vilnius.
Could a “concert of powers” be the solution for the increasing power competition between the US and China and the current crisis of democracy?
What are different models for thinking about global order? How do ideas about war shape what statesmen and -women do?
How can Europe adapt its strategies for multilateralism in this competitive world and what would they look like?
How can we explain the current crisis of the liberal international order?
L’Ufficio di Roma dello European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) ha organizzato un briefing online dal titolo “From vulnerability to leverage: Europe’s defenses against Chinese economic coercion”, che si è tenuto il 21 maggio 2026 dalle ore 17:00 alle 18:00. Alla base del confronto c’era il policy brief “Beijing hold’em: European cards against Chinese coercion”,…
The international system is no longer held together by a single dominant vision of order. While the US is retreating from its dominant role, China and Russia are advancing competing models of order. In this context, middle powers are actively pursuing new strategies to secure their autonomy and expand their influence. They are challenging established hierarchies, reshaping economic and connectivity networks, and building alternative forms of cooperation that do…
Quest’anno lo European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) e l’Institute of Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) co-presiedono il Think7 (T7), il gruppo di consultazione ufficiale del G7 per i think tank e i centri di ricerca a livello mondiale, con l’obiettivo di elaborare nuove proposte politiche per i paesi del G7. In questo contesto, ECFR ha preparato 4 solution paper su…
Days before a high-stakes NATO summit, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) hosts to a timely webinar on European public attitudes towards Europe’s defence, the first turbulent months of President Trump’s new term, and the capacity of Europe to respond to a changing transatlantic reality. This webinar will launch our brand-new public opinion report,…
La temporanea sospensione dei dazi imposti dagli Stati Uniti nei confronti dell’Unione Europea non consente all’Europa di abbassare la guardia. Al contrario, è questo il momento di riflettere sia sulla strategia negoziale da adottare, sia sul più ampio contesto delle relazioni economiche transatlantiche. Dalle politiche commerciali e digitali alle leve finanziarie e infrastrutturali strategiche, sono…
The EU lacks cohesive governance to deploy economic statecraft tools, such as sanctions and export controls, undermining their impact and the bloc’s global credibility. In this webinar, Agathe Demarais and Abraham Newman will discuss their recent policy brief, outlining how the creation of an EU network focused on the design and implementation of these…
La Conferenza sulla Sicurezza di Monaco e i dialoghi in Arabia Saudita tra americani e russi hanno messo in luce il tentativo di creare un nuovo ordine mondiale, che potrebbe tuttavia minacciare l’assetto liberale e, soprattutto, indebolire l’Europa. La nuova amministrazione Trump, principale artefice di questi cambiamenti, rischia di mettere gli europei gli uni contro…
ECFR is organizing a series of closed-door workshops in the framework of the project “Towards an Open, Free and Global Internet” funded by Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo and in partnership with Italian foreign policy magazine Formiche. After a first meeting on the content layer of the internet, which was held in Rome in June…
La sfida tecnologica posta dalla transizione energetica è un fattore dirimente di competizione tra gli attori internazionali, con implicazioni critiche sul futuro assetto geoeconomico globale, come reso evidente dalle tensioni nelle relazioni commerciali tra Stati Uniti, Cina e Unione Europea. Allo stesso tempo, la proiezione esterna degli attori internazionali e lo sforzo di costruzione di nuove partnership e collaborazioni sono meccanismi essenziali per lo sviluppo di catene del valore resilienti
In occasione del 75esimo anniversario della NATO, la conferenza farà il punto sia sulla NATO nel contesto attuale e futuro, sia soprattutto sul ruolo dell’Italia nell’alleanza atlantica e il rapporto tra quest’ultima e gli interessi nazionali
Rafael Loss on the failure to deploy Tomahawk missiles in Germany as a political retaliation by Trump
Arturo Varvelli on NATO’s credibility in the Trump era and the need to build a European alternative
Carl Bildt on Trump administration, tariffs, military strategies, wars in Ukraine and Middle East
Arturo Varvelli on Mattei Plan developments in the context of the second Italy-Africa Summit