One should not expect members of Europe’s political families to automatically cheer for one another. Copenhagen may find that implementing its European policy will become more difficult if the Social Democratic Party’s Olaf Scholz becomes German chancellor
Europe must hope that the next government in Berlin will come to the Franco-German relationship with fresh thinking and clear suggestions for how to deal with the democratic deficits in the heart of the EU, as well as the human rights challenges on the union’s southern flank
A European force that remained even as the Americans left could have provided a powerful psychological boost to Afghan forces – and such an operation should have been well within European capabilities
Nothing was inevitable about the Taliban reconquering of Afghanistan. But in the end the US lost what minimal strategic patience it had
After Afghanistan, countries such as Germany should reconsider their presence in Mali, unless the ruling class commits to good governance and democratic principles
Europe needs to take a hard look at what worked and what did not work in Afghanistan. Only then can it gradually and realistically build up its own capacities, rather than aim for grandiose schemes that lack public support
Our collective failure to end the pandemic now will cause even deeper and more costly problems in the future
The EU and its member states have a vital role to play in reforming NATO – cooperation rather than competition will be key to making this a success
The EU cannot remain a passive observer on the Western Sahara issue. It should look to the EU3 model as a way to make progress
The Turkish president no longer commands all before him. The EU should turn its attention to supporting democratic forces in the country