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
Experts & Staff
Timothy Garton Ash
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
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.
Publications
Living in an à la carte world: What European policymakers should learn from global public opinion
A new global opinion poll for ECFR reveals that many people outside the West want Europe and the US in their lives for all they have to offer – but that does not translate into full political alignment. People instead prefer an a la carte arrangement, in which their governments pragmatically select their partners depending on the matter at hand
United West, divided from the rest: Global public opinion one year into Russia’s war on Ukraine
New polling for ECFR reveals the West is consolidating – while facing an increasingly post-Western world, in which powers such as India and Turkiye are readier than ever to act independently
Articles
A defeat for Putin in Ukraine will improve the chances for the Other Russia
Alexei Navalny’s funeral and this weekend’s so-called election show us two Russias. Support the better one
As Putin and Trump threaten from east and west, Europe must stand up for itself
In the 1950s, European nations tried and failed to build a defence community. They should try again
In our new world disorder, the old bipolar frames of reference won’t get us anywhere
Now, a country can be aligned with the US on security while cosying up to Russia on energy and China on trade
With this election victory, Poland is smiling again – and that’s good for all of Europe
The country’s populist nightmare is almost over, but it’s still early days and there are tough tasks ahead
Putin, Pushkin, and the decline of the Russian empire
Behind Ukraine’s rejection of Russia’s revered poet is a much bigger story of imperial decay
In Ukraine I saw a brave but ravaged land in limbo. It needs a future – it needs NATO
Joe Biden must be bold at this week’s summit, and help to give Kyiv the security that would allow it to rebuild
Seven years on, the UK and EU are still drifting apart. The public wants a change
Britain is like a sailing boat in the middle of the Channel, struggling for direction. It needs a bold new captain and a new crew
Will the 22ers become a new political generation?
The war in Ukraine has the potential to define a European cohort – but it is not yet clear whether it will
Why the West must be ready for this moment of opportunity and risk in Ukraine
Ukrainians are preparing for a make-or-break counter-offensive. They have a theory of victory. Do we?
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.
Podcasts
Living in an à la carte world: What European policymakers should learn from global public opinion
Jeremy Shapiro welcomes Timothy Garton Ash, Ivan Krastev and Mark Leonard to discuss how public sentiment can guide Europe in building partnerships and the world of tomorrow
The blindsided: How France and Germany cleared the way for Russia
Mark Leonard welcomes Sylvie Kauffmann and Timothy Garton Ash to discuss the former’s new book “The Blindsided” and France and Germany’s history with Putin’s Russia
United West, divided from the rest: Global public opinion one year into Russia’s war on Ukraine
Mark Leonard, Timothy Garton Ash, and Ivan Krastev discuss the main findings of ECFR’s latest opinion poll
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
Timothy Garton Ash on Europe’s soft power
The multipolar world, in this form, does not allow multilateralism, or even nonalignment in the sense of the Cold War, but rather multi-alignment
Timothy Garton Ash comments on key findings of new ECFR survey
In this op-ed, Timothy Garton Ash comments on the results of ECFR’s new global polling and the features of the new global order
Leading politicians in Europe and the United States often portray the world of the 21st century as a rivalry between competing ideological and political systems
Instead of clinging to old alliances, European decision-makers must seek new partners in this “world à la carte” for the crucial issues of the 21st century, Mark Leonard, Ivan Krastev and Timothy Garton Ash state
Timothy Garton Ash writes about the new à la carte world