Belarus should remind us to believe in freedom’s power
However uncertain the road ahead, these protests show how authoritarianism ultimately subverts itself
Experts & Staff
Timothy Garton Ash
Can Germany now hold the European team together?
Angela Merkel’s triumph in brokering an EU covid-19 recovery package could mark the resurgence of a shared political dream
China: Lessons for Europe from the Cold War
Liberal democracies must learn the lessons of the past by thinking long-term, applying a strong moral code – and avoiding hubris
What kind of post-corona world do Europeans want?
The coronavirus crisis could lead us to the best of times. It could lead us to the worst of times.
The EU can emerge stronger from the pandemic if Merkel seizes the moment
One member state has become a dictatorship as others spiral into debt. Germany must lead the European Union through the coronavirus crisis
Europe (including Britain) can still be a superpower
The key to European power projection isn’t institutional reform, it’s a shift in attitude and a willingness to cooperate.
1989- the greatest year in European history?
In the first in our mini-series on the events of 1989, host Mark Leonard is joined by very special guest Timothy Garton Ash, historian and…
A message from Timothy Garton Ash: Tell us you want Britain to stay
Leaders across Europe might want to get Brexit over the line. But in the long term the EU would be weaker without the UK.
We know the price of appeasement. That’s why we must stand up to Viktor Orbán
This appeasement has to stop. If Hungary’s anti-liberal, nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orbán, persists in his attempts to close down the country’s best and most independent university, and continues to erode liberal democracy in many other ways, then the EU’s powerful grouping of centre-right parties must expel Orbán’s party from its ranks.
Populists are out to divide us. They must be stopped.
The US is the latest country to be seduced by nationalists. Liberals should brace themselves for a long struggle
Articles
In this moment of crisis, opening the door to Ukraine is one thing the EU can do
Zelensky and his people are fighting for their lives to defend European values. They have earned the prospect of EU membership once this brutal war is over.
Putin knows exactly what he wants in eastern Europe – unlike the West
Until we stop dithering and commit to all European states being independent and free, Russia will have the upper hand
Under cover of Covid, Poland is stifling free media – and all Europe should be worried
A planned ‘coronavirus tax’ on revenues and attacks on foreign-owned media threaten to cut away democracy piece by piece
Will the EU emerge from the coronavirus crisis stronger or weaker?
After its mixed Covid response, the EU must now focus on really delivering what its citizens want
In the war of fake news versus facts, here’s what the next battle should be
Facebook, Twitter, Fox News – by blurring the truth, all pose a risk to democracy itself. But the US and EU can counter them together
The UK and EU are heading for bad-tempered rivalry, unless we can avert it
For all the ‘sovereignty’ it has gained, post-Brexit Britain will be trapped in a future of permanent negotiation
For Europe, losing Britain is bad. Keeping undemocratic Hungary and Poland could be worse
The populists of Budapest and Warsaw are blackmailing the EU over the rule of law. They cannot be allowed to succeed.
What will President Biden’s United States look like to the rest of the world?
The future of a diminished superpower now lies in being part of a wider network of democracies
Since reunification, Germany has had its best 30 years. The next 30 will be harder
The EU is in the country’s DNA. But global threats mean a strong transatlantic Western alliance has never been more vital
Belarus should remind us to believe in freedom’s power
However uncertain the road ahead, these protests show how authoritarianism ultimately subverts itself
Podcasts
15 years of ECFR: Reflections on Europe in a tumultuous world
We turned 15! Time to reflect on the past years and ECFR’s role in helping Europe find a strong, united voice
1989- the greatest year in European history?
In the first in our mini-series on the events of 1989, host Mark Leonard is joined by very special guest Timothy Garton Ash, historian and…
Timothy Ash on the economic impact of sanctions against Russia
In the second of two podcasts examining possible sanctions against Vladimir Putin's Russia, following Moscow's actions in Crimea, Timothy Ash looks at the possible…
In the media
To foster peace in Europe, it is best to increase economic and humanitarian aid to Ukraine so that one day it can negotiate from a position of strength
Timothy Garton Ash’s op-ed on the scenarios for peace in Ukraine
The US must once again play a leading role in the circle of democracies, no longer as a hegemon but as first among equals
ECFR Council member Timothy Garton Ash comments on US leadership after the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan
A recent survey by ECFR showed that 53% of young European citizens trust authoritarian states more than democracies when it comes to climate protection
ZEIT Online refers to poll figures from 2020
In a recent ECFR poll, more than 50 per cent of French, Germans, Italians and Spanish said they think the political system of the EU is “broken” rather than “working well.”
Timothy Garton Ash cites the ECFR polling report on the crisis of confidence in the European Union
What we need in cross-Channel relations is (…) the courage to change what can be changed, the serenity to accept what cannot be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other
ECFR Council member Timothy Garton Ash draws a conclusion five years on from the Brexit referendum, arguing that both the British and the European Union are weakened