Despite the fashionable talk about BRICS and the G2 of Washington and Beijing, we really now live in a G3 world that combines US military power and consumption, Chinese capital and labour, and European rules and technology.
The European financial crisis is not just about the immediate debt problem: it's about Europe's longer term viability in a more competitive world. For the sake of future European generations we need to start the hard bargaining process over real and painful reforms straight away.
In this contribution to an online Economist debate on the future of the euro, Thomas Klau argues that the single currency is indispensible if Europe is to punch its weight on the global stage in the 21st century.
Understandably, European governments are rethinking their aid budgets in the light of the economic crisis. But any cuts to aid and foreign ministry budgets should be judged according to results rather than a simple cost calculation.
The longer term challenges for Europe's politicians are to contest real power at a European level and be honest with voters about the issues confronting the continent in the 21st century.
In an article for the Financial Times, George Soros argues that European leaders now need to search for an alternative to the crisis that has spread across Europe. This 'Plan B' for Europe will be a European solution, rather than the national solutions that so many are looking for.
It is wrong to think of Germany's assertive response to the eurozone crisis as a simple case of old-fashioned Realpolitik. Berlin's willingness to throw its weight around economically still sits awkardly with reluctance on military issues. In short, Germany is a geoeconomic power.
Dear Secretary-General, contratulations on winning a second five year term at the United Nations. Here are the issues that you will have to concentrate on, beginning with the immediate concerns of Libya, the wider Middle East and Sudan.
Understanding Berlin’s internal debates about its European role