From plaything to player: How Europe can stand up for itself in the next five years
Introduction The last five years have not been kind to the European Union’s foreign policy. The EU has been less relevant, less active, and less…
Experts & Staff
Carl Bildt
Co-chair of ECFR’s Council
Former Prime Minister and Former Foreign Minister of Sweden
Biography
Carl Bildt served as both prime minister and foreign minister of Sweden. Under his leadership, the government initiated major liberal economic reforms and negotiated Sweden’s accession to the EU. Previously, he served as EU special envoy to the former Yugoslavia, high representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, UN special envoy to the Balkans, and co-chair of the Dayton Peace Conference. He also chaired the Global Commission on Internet Governance. In 2021, he was appointed WHO special envoy for the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator.
Ukraine’s new front is Europe’s big challenge
There’s plenty Europe should do to push back against Russia’s latest attack on Ukraine
Winning peace
The end of the first world war with its history, remembrance, and challenges | Speech by Carl Bildt
No silver ballot: The problems with a Donbas referendum
The war in Donbas is Europe's worst active conflict – a referendum would not help
Why Europe is very nervous about a Trump-Putin summit
In a Trump-Putin meeting, who gets the show, and who gets the substance?
Balkans: On track for EU membership or stagnation?
Three sets of challenges will have to be overcome if any of the candidate countries are to become EU members in 2025
Is peace in Donbas possible?
An ambitious international peacekeeping and transition operation is badly needed in the Donbas
If Trump blows up the Iran deal, he’ll cause a meltdown in Europe, too
The Iran agreement isn’t about Iran alone. It’s about upholding confidence in the international order
Taking Turkey seriously
Make no mistake: the West’s attitude toward Turkey matters
More Europe, less Brussels
The idea of the Union must resonate with all Europeans, not just those who get invited to exclusive meetings. The era of Aachen is over; the age of Bratislava has arrived
Publications
Push back, contain, and engage: How the EU should approach relations with Russia
The bloc should reframe how it speaks of human rights and democracy, while developing closer security and military links with select neighbours
The evolution of US strategic priorities
The Biden administration’s Interim National Security Strategic Guidance reflects an evolution in US strategic thinking and policy priorities
Bosnia to war, to Dayton, and to its slow peace
It will be difficult to sustain progress for Bosnia or the region without a credible and clear EU accession process
From plaything to player: How Europe can stand up for itself in the next five years
Introduction The last five years have not been kind to the European Union’s foreign policy. The EU has been less relevant, less active, and less…
Dayton revisited: Bosnia’s peace deal 20 years on
Two decades after the end of the Bosnian war Carl Bildt considers the successes and failures of Dayton
Articles
Offensive strategy: The EU’s economic security
Defensive economic strategies might slow Europe’s decline, but they won’t secure its future. Only bold reforms and an offensive trade agenda can restore its competitive edge
Rough seas: A scorecard of the EU’s last institutional cycle
As Brussels gears up for the next institutional cycle, it should first take stock of the last five years of EU foreign policy
Revanchism at prime time: Vladimir Putin, Tucker Carlson, and Ukraine
Vladimir Putin’s ramblings to a compliant Tucker Carlson exposed the true motivations for Russia’s war against Ukraine
The challenges ahead: What to watch for in 2024
Amid the ongoing political turmoil and with half of the world’s population going to the polls, the EU needs to prepare for another stormy year
A war of wills: Europe’s peace mission in 2024
Russia will continue its war on Ukraine for as long as it can. Europeans need to make it clear that their will to support Kyiv will not falter
What now?
In this age of danger, we will need a strong EU and a strong NATO
Afghanistan: How it could have been different
Nothing was inevitable about the Taliban reconquering of Afghanistan. But in the end the US lost what minimal strategic patience it had
The Balkans non-paper and the dangers of Plan B
Only a firm framework of integration can bring long-term stability to the Balkans – this is as relevant today as it was in 2003, when EU leaders offered membership to all countries in the region
The Armenian model for Belarus
While many Western observers have seized on Ukraine's 2004-5 and 2014 revolutions to understand the mass protests in Belarus, a much better analogy is Armenia's democratic transition in 2018.
In times of strategic confusion, deeper dialogue is a must
The relationship between the EU and India has vast potential in areas ranging from multilateral institutions to global health
Podcasts
Insights from Davos: Trump’s impact on the global economy
Mark Leonard welcomes Carl Bildt and Arancha González to discuss their insights from public conversations and private meetings at the World Economic Forum 2025
New era, new alliance: NATO, Sweden, and Finland
What can Sweden and Finland offer NATO? And are they worried about the Kremlin’s threats to attack their countries?
Events
14 Dec
From surviving to thriving: How Europe should support Ukraine in the long war against Russia
To brace for a “Long War”, Europe needs to be ready to take its lessons learned from more than half a year of the war to heart and deliver enduring support to Ukraine
23 Jun
Anti-Coercion Instrument: How the EU can counter sanctions, boycotts and economic blackmailing
This event is the second webinar in a two-part series on current developments in the global use of economic coercion
In the media
Carl Bildt on Trump’s Ukraine minerals deal
Europe and Ukraine must be at the negotiating table because no peace agreement can be implemented without their participation
Carl Bildt analyses the implications of early concessions in peace negotiations
Carl Bildt on Ukraine imposed sanctions on former president and opposition politician Petro Poroshenko
Carl Bildt on what Trump’s dealmaking record means for Ukraine
Carl Bildt’s op-ed in Foreign Policy on Ukraine’s Kursk offensive