ECFR European Power

It’s not easy being green: Breaking Europe’s climate spending deadlock The EU’s next budget will shape its future. Member states must strike a grand bargain to decarbonise Europe and, by extension, drive EU security and competitiveness.

A greener European future does not have to come at the expense of other key priorities, namely defence and competitiveness. Rather, they support each other. A greener EU is also a safer and wealthier one, writes @matsengstrom.bsky.social @ecfrpower.bsky.social
https://bit.ly/4hlleVt

Escalate to negotiate: How Europe should respond to Chinese export restrictions Beijing is turning its rare earth monopoly into a weapon. The EU needs to treat this as the emergency that it is and unleash its anti-coercion shield to bring China to the negotiating table…

Europeans need collective leverage to even start a conversation with Beijing—otherwise acceptance becomes the new normal and Beijing will continue to gradually escalate, write @jankaoertel.bsky.social and @tobiasgehrke.bsky.social @ecfrpower.bsky.social
https://bit.ly/475mPLG

When the chips are down: Nexperia, Europe and the US-China trade and tech war The case of Nexperia is another reminder Europeans need to speed up the assembly of their own trade and tech tools…

The new government programme should reflect the view, which has increasingly gained ground in the Netherlands, that economic and job security are not for free but come at a European budgetary price, writes Herman Quarles @ecfrpower.bsky.social
https://bit.ly/47fT09U

It’s not easy being green: Breaking Europe’s climate spending deadlock The EU’s next budget will shape its future. Member states must strike a grand bargain to decarbonise Europe and, by extension, drive EU security and competitiveness.

European industry needs to decarbonise, or it risks falling behind in green technology while countries like China race ahead, writes @matsengstrom.bsky.social @ecfrpower.bsky.social
https://bit.ly/3JmD5i4

Why the EU needs an AI foreign policy The EU needs to go beyond its AI Continent Action Plan and—like the US—develop an AI foreign policy. This is vital to allow the EU to amplify its existing AI efforts while insuring it against AI…

The EU needs to go beyond its AI Continent Action Plan and—like the US—develop an AI foreign policy. This is vital to allow the EU to amplify its existing AI efforts, writes @giorgosverdi.bsky.social @ecfrpower.bsky.social
https://ecfr.eu/article/why-the-eu-needs-an-ai-foreign-policy/

The imported martyr: Echoes of Charlie Kirk in Europe By presenting Kirk as a martyr killed by “leftist hate”, conservative leaders across the Atlantic can reaffirm their core narrative: that they are victims, persecuted and silenced by liberal elites…

By presenting Kirk as a martyr killed by “leftist hate”, conservative leaders across the Atlantic can reaffirm their core narrative: that they are victims, persecuted and silenced by liberal elites, writes @pawelzerka.bsky.social @ecfrpower.bsky.social
https://bit.ly/46XO1L0

Reality show: Why Europe must not cave in Trump’s culture war In today’s transatlantic relationship, Europe’s every concession on policy plays into Trump’s culture war—feeding an image of European weakness…

By uniting to stand up for their values and step out of America’s shadow, the EU and European countries can show they are not props on Trump’s soundstage, but autonomous actors in transatlantic and global politics, writes @pawelzerka.bsky.social @ecfrpower.bsky.social
https://bit.ly/48xylAg

Ride the wave: A big, beautiful European strategy for Trumponomics The US president is throwing the EU lots of economic curveballs. Brussels should not be distracted by these; instead, it should double down on adopting measures that will benefit the bloc long after…

Invece di rimuginare su ogni parola di Trump, gli europei dovrebbero guardare a sé stessi e portare avanti le riforme economiche necessarie per rafforzare il ruolo globale dell'🇪🇺.
✍️ @agathedemarais.bsky.social x @ecfrpower.bsky.social x @ecfrgeotech.bsky.social

Podium of power: Von der Leyen’s State of the Union address confronts Europe’s defence preparedness Ursula von der Leyen’s 2025 State of the Union speech stressed that Europe faces mounting threats from Russia, instability in the Middle East and reliance on the US. To become a true geopolitical powe...

Von der Leyen rightly did not mince her words: the EU is in a fight. The international order, she warned, is shifting from rules-based to power-based, writes Tiago Antunes @ecfrpower.bsky.social
https://bit.ly/48hJzJ5

A tale of two leaders: The difference between Starmer and von der Leyen The return-to-work pitches of European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and British prime minister Kier Starmer sketch two very different pictures: one was full of ambition and strength, the ...

Starmer’s managerial competence would have been well suited to the top job in a period of stability: but these times call for leadership, writes Nick Witney @ecfreuropeansec.bsky.social @ecfrpower.bsky.social
https://bit.ly/3KifQFW

The PM is dead, long live the PM! Why France will remain internationally bullish As the French prime minister tends his resignation following a no confidence vote, options remain for President Emmanuel Macron to keep French international activism alive

As the French prime minister tends his resignation following a no confidence vote, options remain for President Emmanuel Macron to keep French international activism alive, write @celiabelin.bsky.social and Constance Victor @ecfrpower.bsky.social
https://bit.ly/4pdcMuQ

Why the EU needs an AI foreign policy The EU needs to go beyond its AI Continent Action Plan and—like the US—develop an AI foreign policy. This is vital to allow the EU to amplify its existing AI efforts while insuring it against AI…

The EU’s AI foreign policy could also act as a lever to amplify the global effect of the EU’s AI regulation. For example, Europeans could make access to European data conditional on signing the AI Code of Practice, writes @giorgosverdi.bsky.social @ecfrpower.bsky.social
https://bit.ly/3I1L979

Home and away: Why Poland is fighting a war on two fronts Poland should be at the forefront in deterring Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. Instead, its government is hindered by political infighting and an unclear position towards Ukrainians in Poland.

Poland’s domestic paralysis weakens the entire Western response precisely when unity and strength are most critical, writes Marta Prochwicz Jazowska @ecfrpower.bsky.social

Check out the latest op-ed from from Senior Policy Fellow,
@matsengstrom.bsky.social, on the MFF negotiations and maintaining the EU's green tech competitiveness (in Swedish).

The EU needs to develop a concrete policy to address Russian annexation actions in prospective member states like Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine
For a detailed look at what this might entail, read the latest policy brief from Tefta Kelmendi and Sergi Kapanadze @ECFRPower.bsky.social bit.ly/4le7c8m

Multilateralism with less America: Trump’s plan for international organisations The Trump administration has made clear its distain for the multilateral system. As it reviews US participation, Europeans are faced with a tricky balance of selectively embracing these reforms while…

The Trump administration has made clear its distain for the multilateral system. As it reviews US participation, Europeans are faced with a tricky balance of selectively embracing these reforms while filling the America-sized hole, write
@celiabelin.bsky.social and Anthony Dworkin.

Scot-free: What Europeans should take from Trump’s trade deal Ursula von der Leyen and Donald Trump have announced a 15% tariff on most EU goods exported to the US. The compromise has avoided a trade war for now—but Europeans need to safeguard the deal’s…

Last weekend, Ursula von der Leyen visited Trump at his Turnberry golf course to accept a trade deal which largely acquiesces to American demands. The deal avoided a trade war, but Europeans need to guard the deal's positive aspects.
Read @alberto-rizzi.bsky.social's policy alert:

The power of partnerships: European climate leadership with less America In a Trumpian world, Europeans must drive climate action through stronger climate partnerships with countries across the globe. Here’s how they can act.

🍃In a Trumpian world, Europeans must drive climate action through stronger climate partnerships with countries across the globe, write Susi Dennison and Mats Engström in the new policy brief for @ecfrpower.bsky.social
Here's how Europeans can act:

From ambition to action: The EU needs stronger partnerships to reach its 2040 climate target The EU’s new 2040 climate target will only be credible if it works more closely with partners worldwide—sharing technology, financing green transitions, and reducing strategic dependencies…

The EU’s new 2040 climate target will only be credible if it works more closely with partners worldwide—sharing technology, financing green transitions, and reducing strategic dependencies, writes @matsengstrom.bsky.social @ecfrpower.bsky.social
Read the new policy alert in full: bit.ly/4lENYJH

Preventing the next war: A European plan for Ukraine Together with the Ukrainians, Europeans should begin—now—to draw up a “beyond the horizon” plan for Ukraine in readiness for a ceasefire or even a peace deal…

Together with the Ukrainians, Europeans should begin—now—to draw up a “beyond the horizon” plan for Ukraine in readiness for a ceasefire or even a peace deal. Read our new policy brief by @camillegrand.bsky.social, Jana Kobzova and Nicu Popescu.

ecfr.eu/publication/...

🔴New Op-Ed from ECFR's @nicupopescu.bsky.social, Distinguished Fellow, and Tiago Antunes, Associate Senior Fellow, on the need for Europe to beef-up its crisis response systems and infrastructure following April's Iberian blackout @ecfrpower.bsky.social
🔗https://bit.ly/4lbz65d

🔴New Policy Brief from Dmytro Kuleba — How to arm a pacifist: Lessons from Ukraine for the EU’s defence @ecfrpower.bsky.social
🔗 bit.ly/3HNiEK6

📢 Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski will open this year’s Annual Council Meeting, as part of the 🇵🇱 EU Council Presidency.
💻Watch LIVE on our Youtube channel.

Defence without America? What Europeans are (and aren’t) ready for Days before a high-stakes NATO summit, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) hosts to a timely webinar on European public attitudes towards Europe’s defence, the first turbulent months of…

📢 ECFR Webinar | Defence without America?
Are Europeans ready to secure their own future?

🗓️ 23 June, 15:00-16:00 CEST
📍 Online | Registration required
📊 New polling from 12 countries
🎙️ Jana Kobzova, Ivan Krastev, Mark Leonard
🎛️ Chair: @lykkefriis.bsky.social

A TikTok ban is a last resort, but the risks posed by disinformation, algorithmic manipulation and foreign surveillance are too great to ignore, writes Stephanie Niedenhoff, Programme Assistant @ecfrpower.bsky.social
buff.ly/Vyca9Gl

Litmus test: How to tell whether the Trump administration is serious about peace in Ukraine European allies should urge the US government to use its unexploited sources of leverage over Russia—and learn from whether it does…

European allies should urge the US government to use its unexploited sources of leverage over Russia—and learn from whether it does, writes Jim O'Brien, distinguished policy fellow, in his latest commentary for ECFR. @ecfrpower.bsky.social

Defence without America? What Europeans are (and aren’t) ready for Days before a high-stakes NATO summit, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) hosts to a timely webinar on European public attitudes towards Europe’s defence, the first turbulent months of…

🌍WEBINAR | 23 June 2025 15:00 CET

Join ECFR’s Mark Leonard, plus @lykkefriis.bsky.social, Ivan Krastev & Jana Kobzova for the launch of new public opinion report on attitudes to defence, Ukraine & global leadership.

Register now 👇

Rise to the challengers: Europe’s populist parties and its foreign policy future An array of populist parties are challenging Europe’s foreign policy mainstream. To secure European sovereignty, its politicians need to adapt—which means preparing for a variety of future diplomatic…

📢New study!
Authored by @jeremycliffe.bsky.social‬, @taszuc.bsky.social‬, @camillelons.bsky.social & @arturovarvelli.bsky.social‬ it shows how the challengers’ growing influence & the Trump administration’s willingness to support them is unsettling the old European mainstream
ecfr.eu/publication/...

Two-year timer: How Europeans can support Tusk against Poland’s right wing Karol Nawrocki is well-placed to block Donald Tusk’s agenda and threaten his reelection in 2027. Tusk should engage with European leaders—and the new Polish president—to help deter Poland’s right…

Following the election of Karol Nawrocki, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has two-years to demonstrate to Poles that the EU’s deliverable benefits outweigh any populist alternative. Learn more in Policy Fellow Marta Prochwicz Jazowska's new commentary.
@ecfrpower.bsky.social

From reliance to dependence: The risks of “NATO first” Britain’s strategic defence review overlooks the dangers of banking on America for its security.

Britain’s strategic defence review overlooks the dangers of banking on America for its security, writes Nick Witney, Senior Policy Fellow at ECFR
Learn more about what the UK's new strategic defence review missed in the latest commentary @ecfrpower.bsky.social👇