Internationale Politik Quarterly

A New Chapter for UK-German Relations The Kensington Treaty, signed by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in July, has great potential. But, crucially, its success or otherwise will be linked to EU-UK...

In our fall issue, @jannikewachowiak.bsky.social and @anandmenon.bsky.social write about the potential of the Kensington Treaty, signed by Keir Starmer and Friedrich Merz in July. But, crucially, its success (or otherwise) will be linked to EU-UK relations.

ip-quarterly.com/en/new-chapt...

MAGA and Regime Change in Europe The new US foreign and security policy is often described as isolationist. But its activities in Europe are increasing: not in military terms, but in political ones.

Under Trump, US aspirations to shape the global order are decreasing. But at the same time, its activities in Europe are increasing—not in military terms, but in political ones.

@dgap.org's Jacob Ross on MAGA's European efforts: ip-quarterly.com/en/maga-and-...

Germany Needs to Face the New Economic Reality The Merz government has the chance to improve the country’s geoeconomic resilience and strengthen its global economic position with its proposed new Economic Security Strategy.

With its proposed Economic Security Strategy, the Merz government has the chance to improve Germany’s geoeconomic resilience and strengthen its global economic position, @dgap.org's Filip Medunic writes in our new issue.

ip-quarterly.com/en/germany-n...

Under Pressure from Trump and Xi, Europeans Want a Stronger EU US President Donald Trump’s tariff threats and a deteriorating relationship with Xi Jinping’s China have alerted EU citizens to the importance of economic security.

From our new issue, by @ljohnson.bsky.social: Trump’s tariffs threats and a deteriorating relationship with Xi Jinping have alerted EU citizens to the importance of shoring up things like defense and competitiveness in the name of economic security.

ip-quarterly.com/en/under-pre...

Germany’s Government Lacks New Ideas, and It Shows The Christian Democrats and Social Democrats of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’ coalition government have made an effort to get along better. So far, however, they have failed to come up with the new appro...

The parties in Germany’s coalition government have made an effort to get along better, but have so far failed to come up with the new security and economic policy approaches that the country needs, @henninghoff.bsky.social writes in the latest Berlin Cable.

ip-quarterly.com/en/germanys-...

Highly revealing analysis by @davekeating.substack.com on why Von der Leyen is facing more no-confidence votes. This quote illustrates what needs to change: “While she bullies in the Berlaymont, she allows herself to be bullied by Europe’s short-sighted national leaders and the world’s strongmen”

The Drones Incident May Well Shift Poland’s Foreign Policy The idea of a “special” US-Polish relationship has still much currency in Poland and was revived with President Nawrocki’s inaugural Washington visit. But the muted US reaction to Russia’s drones viol...

Piotr Buras in our new issue on how the Russian drones incident may well shift Poland’s foreign policy: ip-quarterly.com/en/drones-in...

Ursula von der Leyen: Queen in the Commission, Servant in the Council A year into her second term, the European Commission’s notoriously controlling president is attracting criticism for neutering her college of commissioners while blindly following the EU’s 27 national...

As part of our five-year anniversary, today we launched Close-Up, a profile series.

Up first: @davekeating.substack.com on Ursula von der Leyen, the notoriously controlling European Commission president, a year into her second term.

ip-quarterly.com/en/ursula-vo...

Europe is under increasing pressure from both 🇺🇸&🇨🇳

With @ipq.bsky.social I talked about:
🔹 Current “deal” with 🇺🇸
🔹 Defence against unfair subsidies from 🇨🇳
🔹 Role of new trade agreements
🔹 Why Europe can only survive with greater strategic autonomy
👉 shorturl.at/OhYTR

The Return of Economic Statecraft China and the United States have always used economic statecraft, while Brussels preferred to think about economic security. This needs to change.

New in our fall issue: @randeurope.org's Francesca Ghiretti on why the European Union needs to bring economic statecraft into its foreign policy wheelhouse.

ip-quarterly.com/en/return-ec...

An important and perfectly doable step EU leaders should consider as early as this week, convincingly argued for by Luuk van Middelaar and Hans Kribbe @bigeurope.bsky.social in our new issue

The EU Needs an Economic Security Council The European Union is ill-equipped to deal with the dilemmas emerging from the new age of geoeconomics. It requires a new body to decide on strategic questions and trade-offs in an accountable way.

In our new issue, @bigeurope.bsky.social’s Luuk van Middelaar & Hans Kribbe argue that the EU is ill-equipped to deal with emerging geoeconomic dilemmas and propose a solution: an economic security council.

ip-quarterly.com/en/eu-needs-...

Fall 2025 Issue: Defending Europe’s Economic Security The 21st issue of INTERNATIONALE POLITIK QUARTERLY focuses on the European Union in the new age of economic statecraft.

Out today: Our fall issue, Defending Europe’s Economic Security, which also marks five years of IPQ.

We'll be sharing individual articles in the coming days & weeks and you can read the full issue here: ip-quarterly.com/en/fall-2025...

Coming next week, our new issue: Defending Europe’s Economic Security, featuring
@lucyaash.bsky.social
@ljohnson.bsky.social
@bigeurope.bsky.social's Luuk van Middelaar & Hans Kribbe
@bernd-lange.bsky.social
@rebeccawire.bsky.social
@anandmenon.bsky.social
@jannikewachowiak.bsky.social
& more!

The Europeanization of Humiliation It’s not only EU policies—from trade to defense—that are becoming more Gaullist. European voters’ feelings toward the EU are also becoming more French.

"This feeling that the world is walking all over Europe is no longer uniquely French. It seems to be spreading across the continent," @josephdeweck.bsky.social writes in his latest Pariscope column.

ip-quarterly.com/en/europeani...

The Europeanization of Humiliation It’s not only EU policies—from trade to defense—that are becoming more Gaullist. European voters’ feelings toward the EU are also becoming more French.

This “summer of humiliation” gave rise to a sentiment that we Europeans are indeed weak. Like all things that are emerging, Europe is first a space that is experienced before being a space that is defined. Trump has added to that experience. 👉Column @ipq.bsky.social
ip-quarterly.com/en/europeani...

The Drones Incident May Well Shift Poland’s Foreign Policy The idea of a “special” US-Polish relationship has still much currency in Poland and was revived with President Nawrocki’s inaugural Washington visit. But the muted US reaction to Russia’s drones viol...

NEW: The Russian drones incident may well shift Poland’s foreign policy, @ecfr.eu's Piotr Buras writes.

ip-quarterly.com/en/drones-in...

This article is a preview of our fall issue, "Defending Europe’s Economic Security," which comes out September 30 and marks five years of IPQ!

The Drones Incident May Well Shift Poland’s Foreign Policy The idea of a “special” US-Polish relationship has still much currency in Poland and was revived with President Nawrocki’s inaugural Washington visit. But the muted US reaction to Russia’s drones viol...

NEW: The Russian drones incident may well shift Poland’s foreign policy, @ecfr.eu's Piotr Buras writes.

ip-quarterly.com/en/drones-in...

The Case for War: Why the West Should Double Down in Ukraine History shows that long-term conflicts tend to work to the underdog’s advantage, and defeat often has dramatic consequences for the aggressor. That’s why the West, Europe in particular, should dramati...

NEW: History shows that long-term conflicts tend to work to the underdog’s advantage, and defeat has dramatic consequences for the aggressor. That’s why Europe in particular should dramatically expand military aid to Ukraine, John R. Deni & Elisabeth Nielsen argue.

ip-quarterly.com/en/case-war-...

The Case for War: Why the West Should Double Down in Ukraine History shows that long-term conflicts tend to work to the underdog’s advantage, and defeat often has dramatic consequences for the aggressor. That’s why the West, Europe in particular, should dramati...

NEW: History shows that long-term conflicts tend to work to the underdog’s advantage, and defeat has dramatic consequences for the aggressor. That’s why Europe in particular should dramatically expand military aid to Ukraine, John R. Deni & Elisabeth Nielsen argue.

ip-quarterly.com/en/case-war-...

The Case for Berlin Supplying Arms to Taipei Taiwan is struggling with the effects of late and insufficient US weapons deliveries, which are making it more vulnerable. It would be in Germany’s interest to step in.

New: @aylinmatle.bsky.social & @weberv.bsky.social argue that it would be in Germany’s interests to supply arms to Taiwan, as it struggles with the effects of late and insufficient US deliveries.

ip-quarterly.com/en/case-berl...

The EU’s Blind Spot: China in the World Beijing has been outpacing Brussels in the so-called Global South. Now the EU must rethink its global game plan.

China debuted multiple new weapons systems at its military parade today, making ever-more clear its increased capabilities and global role. But as @ivadica.bsky.social wrote recently, China is a big blind spot for Europe—something the EU now needs to fix.

ip-quarterly.com/en/eus-blind...

On global governance without America, by @samirpuri.bsky.social: ip-quarterly.com/en/global-go...

Will German Foreign Policy Ever Change Its Spots? Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has started an untimely, and ill-informed, debate about “German boots on the ground in Ukraine.” A more strategic and coherent foreign policy is still a long way off.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has started an untimely—and ill-informed—debate about “German boots on the ground in Ukraine,” making clear that a more strategic and coherent foreign policy is still a long way off, @henninghoff.bsky.social writes.

ip-quarterly.com/en/will-germ...

“Iran Is Down, But It Is Not Out” The 12-day war has weakened the regime in Tehran and limited its options. This increases Iran’s incentives to become a nuclear weapon state, argues Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group. But ther...

"A dash toward nuclear weapons in a secret facility is still something that Iran can do. It has the knowledge, the material, and the equipment needed. And without inspections, the world will be blinded to that possibility."

More from @crisisgroup.org's Ali Vaez: ip-quarterly.com/en/iran-down...

The New Middle East Israel may have emerged victorious from the recent conflict with Iran but a long-term stalemate persists in the power struggle between the four main players in the Middle East. That is dangerous.

NEW: Israel may have emerged victorious from the recent conflict with Iran, but a dangerous stalemate persists in the power struggle between the four main players in the Middle East, @swp-berlin.org's Guido Steinberg writes.

ip-quarterly.com/en/new-middl...

How to Save Europe from More Nasty Surprises The resolve of a strengthened Europe will grow as its capabilities expand. Here’s what needs to happen to take security into European hands—and to actively avert the worst-case scenario.

As European leaders prepare to meet with Trump in Washington today, read @drfranksauer.bsky.social on how they can save themselves from more nasty surprises.

ip-quarterly.com/en/how-save-...

“Iran Is Down, But It Is Not Out” The 12-day war has weakened the regime in Tehran and limited its options. This increases Iran’s incentives to become a nuclear weapon state, argues Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group. But ther...

New: Our interview with @crisisgroup.org’s Ali Vaez on how the 12-day war has weakened the Iranian regime, limited its options, and increased its incentives to become a nuclear weapon state.

ip-quarterly.com/en/iran-down...

Europe’s Security Increasingly Lies Beyond NATO and the EU The Europeans are increasingly relying on ad hoc formats to address security questions. Those should no longer be seen as temporary fixes but as the place where Europe’s new  security architecture is ...

NEW from @rusi.bsky.social's Neil Melvin: As Europeans increasingly relying on ad hoc formats to address security questions (beyond NATO and the EU), these should be considered the places where Europe’s new security architecture is being built.

ip-quarterly.com/en/europes-s...