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Brexit isn’t working: British voters are ready for a European future
- Mark Leonard
- Policy Brief
Ten years on from the referendum, the British electorate has moved on from its old divisions and—in a world of crisis—is embracing an ambitious move back towards the European Union
The art of the swarm: Systemic rivalry with China on European terms
- Andrew Small
- Policy Brief
The EU can exploit its system to say no to China—now, and long into the future
The bear with the bomb: Russian nuclear coercion and the future of European deterrence
- Rafael Loss, with Katrine Westgaard
- Policy Brief
Russia is expanding its nuclear-capable, long-range weapon systems to press Europe and fracture NATO. Europeans need to plug the gaps in their nuclear capabilities and create a strategic deterrent that can function without US support
Sliding doors: One Trump crisis, two possible futures for Europe
- Nevada Joan Lee
- Policy Brief
The next Trump crisis will come. European governments facing American pressure will need to weigh the costs and benefits of their responses. Here are two scenarios to show what resistance costs, and why those costs are lower than they appear
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Annual Council Meeting 2026
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ECFR Scenario Game: Which MENA Region in 2030?
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Mark Leonard's World in 30 minutes
Peace in the Middle East
- Podcast
- Mark Leonard's World in 30 minutes
Julien Barnes-Dacey welcomes Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud to discuss how the recently inked US-Iran deal could deliver a more stable regional order
ECFR on air
Moldova: The EU frontrunner outrunning Russia
- Podcast
- ECFR on air
- The Neighbourhood
Jessica Hendrick is joined by Dumitru Alaiba and Maia Machavariani to explore why Moldova is one of Europe’s most closely watched test cases—and what the country’s latest developments reveal about its political direction
Views from the Council
If the UK wants to rejoin the European Union, it first needs to understand it
- Timothy Garton Ash
- Commentary
- View from the Council
- 4 minute read
A full return will require a marathon of democratic persuasion, on the continent as much as in Britain. For one side holds most of the cards
Hungarian thaw, Slovak freeze: How the post-Orban era could chill relations on the Danube
- Tomáš Valášek
- Commentary
- View from the Council
- 4 minute read
The alliance between Viktor Orban and Robert Fico long kept Slovak-Hungarian tensions buried. But with Peter Magyar’s rise in Hungary and economic trouble at home, Fico may turn to anti-Hungarian nationalism in his re-election campaign
In the Media - Council
Edwin Bendyk on the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk
Edwin Bendyk on the future of Polish-Ukrainian relations
Die Presse on ECFR’s Annual Council Meeting in Vienna
Edwin Bendyk on the deteriorating Polish-Ukrainian relations
Featured and flagship projects
The Data Collection
Explore our open-access data platform for unparalleled access to ECFR’s public opinion polls—empowering research and insight on today’s key foreign policy issues.
Transatlantic twilight: European public opinion and the long shadow of Trump
- Jana Puglierin, Arturo Varvelli, Paweł Zerka
Re:Engage
This project helps the EU in refining its foreign policy, re-engaging neighbours post-Russia's invasion of Ukraine to bolster regional resilience and advance enlargement policies.
The interest of values: The EU’s democracy promotion in the Western Balkans and the eastern neighbourhood
- Piotr Buras, Marie Dumoulin, Tefta Kelmendi, Marlene Marx
Re:Order
Re:Order project explores emerging visions of the global order, as well as the interplay between economic might and geopolitical influence.
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Beyond Brexit—and back to Europe
- Mark Leonard
- Commentary
- 3 minute read
Those who follow only intergovernmental negotiations or debates in the media might think that nothing has changed in the decade since the United Kingdom’s voters decided to leave the European Union. Yet new polling finds that large majorities on both sides of the English Channel now support re-engagement
Gas-lit: The Three Seas Initiative is out of step with a clean-energy future
- Szymon Kardaś
- Commentary
- 3 minute read
The Three Seas Initiative helped cut Europe’s dependence on Russian gas—but five of its nine flagship energy projects are still gas-related. The initiative should direct its new €2bn “fund of funds” towards building the clean-energy infrastructure that will outlast the gas era
If the UK wants to rejoin the European Union, it first needs to understand it
- Timothy Garton Ash
- Commentary
- View from the Council
- 4 minute read
A full return will require a marathon of democratic persuasion, on the continent as much as in Britain. For one side holds most of the cards
Twin track: How to move Ukraine’s EU accession along
- Leo Litra
- Policy Alert
- 1 minute read
The lifting of the Hungarian veto opens up new opportunities for Ukraine’s and Moldova’s EU accession
Europeans don’t need consensus to challenge Israel and its settlements
- Hugh Lovatt
- Commentary
- 5 minute read
Israel is accelerating its settler project and deepening conflict, frustrating many EU member states. The bloc should use its trade and financial tools to impose costs and secure a future for Palestinians
After Ukraine: The peace dividend Africa does not want
- Will Brown, Lena Krause
- Commentary
- 3 minute read
The end of the Ukraine war would flood the global market with surplus weapons, fighters and drone expertise—much of which may end up making African conflicts deadlier. Governments in Africa and Europe should prepare now
Our experts are available for media requests. Our work involves many issues relating to Europe and foreign policy, and our programmes focus on Africa, Asia, the Middle East & North Africa, and Wider Europe.
The ECFR policy brief Brexit isn’t working: British voters are ready for a European future by Mark Leonard, mentioned by EUnews
Financial Times on Tobias Gehrke´s policy brief Brussels hold’em: European cards against Trumpian coercion
The ECFR policy brief Brexit isn’t working: British voters are ready for a European future by Mark Leonard, mentioned by L’Osservatore Romano
More on Africa
The ammonia age: How Europe and Africa can steer global shipping to net zero
- Sarah Logan
- Policy Brief
The IMO’s Net-Zero Framework is critical for EU competitiveness and the clearest path to decarbonise shipping. African backing may prove decisive as American and Gulf pressure stalls progress
Lost in processing: Why ‘Made in Europe’ needs an Africa strategy
- Sarah Logan, Maddalena Procopio
- Commentary
- 4 minute read
Europe, Mauritania and the Gulf states: Securing stability and growth in the Sahel
- Corrado Čok
- Commentary
- 6 minute read
More on Asia
Borrowed mouths and laundered messages: China’s influence playbook in Europe
- Alicja Bachulska, Ivana Karásková, Konrad Szatters
- Policy Brief
Chinese foreign manipulation and interference are rising in Europe. Five techniques feature in Beijing’s playbook, communicating messages about China’s place in the world and support for Russian positions.
Trump in Beijing: Why the game stays the same for Europe
- Andrew Small
- Commentary
- 3 minute read
Power couple: How South Korea fits in Europe’s battery strategy
- Alexander Lipke, Jihye Yoo
- Commentary
- 5 minute read
More on European Power
Mitigate, deter, escalate: Europe’s options against US economic coercion
- Agathe Demarais, Tobias Gehrke, José Ignacio Torreblanca
- Policy Brief
The US under Trump will seek new ways to coerce Europe economically. Here is how Europeans can resist the pressure and emerge stronger for it
Musk’s war on European democracy: How to open up X and fight back
- José Ignacio Torreblanca
- Policy Alert
- 2 minute read
Why half-measures won’t solve Europe’s data-centre energy crisis
- Mats Engström
- Policy Alert
- 2 minute read
More on European Security
Making defence European again
- Rafael Loss, Marta Prochwicz Jazowska, Jana Puglierin
- Policy Brief
The Russian threat is not going away any time soon. To defend themselves without America’s help, Europeans need to pursue a new, distinctly European model of defence and deterrence
Combat lessons: What Europeans should learn from Ukraine
- Nick Witney
- Commentary
- 4 minute read
Code, clouds, satellite: The defence layer Europe should not outsource
- Ángel Melguizo, Víctor Muñoz
- Commentary
- 3 minute read
More on Middle East and North Africa
Iran nuclear monitor: Month by month
- Ellie Geranmayeh
- Special
America and Israel have bombed Iran since 2025 to block Tehran’s path to nuclear weapons. ECFR’s interactive dashboard, updated monthly, assesses current evidence about Iran’s nuclear activities to determine which of six possible scenarios is most likely
Rescuing the Gaza ceasefire: What to do with Hamas’s weapons
- Muhammad Shehada
- Commentary
- 8 minute read
Bypassing the straits: The India-Middle East-Europe corridor needs a wartime redesign
- Cinzia Bianco, Arturo Varvelli
- Commentary
- 4 minute read
More on United States
One battle after another: Factional struggles and the making of Trump’s foreign policy
- Majda Ruge
- Policy Brief
Trump’s foreign and security policy is the product of factional competition in the White House and a president fixated on short-term wins. Here’s how Europeans should come to terms with this new reality
As the US midterms loom, the Republican choice is surrender—or lose
- Chris Herrmann, Nevada Joan Lee
- Policy Alert
- 2 minute read
The art of the off-ramp: How Europe can pressure Trump to end the war in Iran
- Jeremy Shapiro
- Commentary
- 2 minute read