The European Council on Foreign Relations

Commentary: José Ignacio Torreblanca

Eye-opener

Kosovo’s independence has no way back and we must accept it in order to help them to build a prosperous nation.

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Orlando's refusal

Spain’s policy on Cuba it’s a wait-and-see attitude, and not an absurd one; but we should not use the word “policy”.

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Piñata capitalism

Europe should have a stronger voice when it comes to reforms in the financial system.

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Visible immigrants

The only relevant question about immigrants is whether or not their children will go to university.

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Zapatero, stay cool. And if necessary, be boring.

Interview with José Ignacio Torreblanca on what to expect from the Spanish EU Presidency in times of economic crisis and institutional innovation.

The European grill

Every EU presidency faces unexpected crises; now Haití is rapidly becoming the crisis that tests both the Spanish rotating presidency and the EU’s capacity for coordinating foreign policy action.

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A Bush under the tree

Obama has spent the year picking up the lost balls left behind by Bush, now he’s ready to play again in 2010.

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EU presidency baton goes to Spain

Spain will need to put national interests aside if it is to help give the post-Lisbon Europe real influence on the world stage.

World climate authority

We only have one planet. But we are managing it by outdated means: sovereignty was good at controlling feudal lords a couple of hundred years ago. Perhaps it is in the area of the climate change that the supranational EU can be a model for the rest of the world?

Iron diplomacy

How is it that Spain, a country that has recently known a long dictatorship, is so insensitive to activists for democracy and human rights in other countries?

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Reflecting for action

What will Europe’s leaders do with the reflection group’s report, which aims to be straight talking, concise and legible, when Felipe González delivers next year?

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Diplosaurs

Europe’s Foreign Ministers must do all they can to help the new High Representative if the EU is to enjoy a fully functional foreign policy.

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Cold feet in a Turkish bath

Nobody wants to admit it, but Turkish accession negotiations are dead in the water

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Heroines and graves

In contrast to the Nobel Peace Prize given to Obama, the EP has acted soundly in giving the Sakharov Prize to Memorial

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Troika, trio, treat, trick

After the elections for Commission president, we are now drowned in the gibberish of the Council of Europe president elections

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Latest Publications

China shapes its post-crisis economic agenda

The latest issue of China Analysis looks at Beijing’s willingness to strengthen international economic governance, and its authors argue that much thinking in China seems to focus on the short term

China and India: rivals always, partners sometimes

The authors of the latest issue of China Analysis argue that Western concerns over “Chindia” - the emergence of a Sino-Indian economic power bloc or strategic alliance - may be unwarranted. 

Towards a post-American Europe: A Power Audit of EU-US Relations by Nick Witney & Jeremy Shapiro

Europe has the US president it wished for, but does Barack Obama have the strong transatlantic partner he wants?

Can the EU rebuild failing states? A review of Europe’s civilian capacities.

Have broken promises and treating Afghanistan, DR Congo and Iraq like Bosnia left the EU without the capacity to prevent fragile states from becoming failing states?

What does Russia think?

ECFR publishes a collection of views from key Russian intellectuals.

The EU and human rights at the UN: 2009 annual review

The EU’s ongoing loss of influence at the UN is putting lives at risk, argues the author of ECFR’s latest paper.

China’s response to the G2

Fears in Europe that China works to lock the US into a “G2” embrace so as to dominate the global agenda do not reflect Chinese experts’ current strategic thinking.

European and Russian power in the troubled neighbourhood

Is a complacent strategy that focuses on gradual change rather than crises losing the EU its battle with Russia for influence in the eastern neighbourhood?

Beyond the “War on Terror”

The EU has an opportunity to influence President Obama’s efforts to reform US counterterrorism policy

A Power Audit of EU-China Relations

China is exploiting the EU’s divisions and treating the 27-state bloc with “diplomatic contempt” on issues ranging from trade to the Dalai Lama.

Shaping Europe's Afghan Surge

Will the military surge in Afghanistan fail without a civilian surge?

Re-wiring the US-EU relationship

With the pivotal change of leadership in Washington, the US and the EU may have an ideal moment to strengthen the US-EU institutional bond.

Beyond dependence: How to deal with Russian gas

Could building a single European market in natural gas be the most effective strategy for the European Union in countering Russia’s divisive energy diplomacy?

Promoting democracy abroad - the EU's record

In a joint research project with FRIDE, ECFR looks at the EU’s record in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Ukraine, Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco.

Is the EU a global force for human rights?

The EU’s leverage to promote human rights through the UN has dramatically declined over the last decade, our exclusive report reveals.

Can the EU win the peace in Georgia?

This authors analyse the background and developments in the Russia-Georgia conflict and outline recommendations on how to prevent wider political fallout.

Re-energising Europe's Security and Defence Policy

European governments cannot afford to move at the speed of the slowest, argues Nick Witney, and should push for a ‘multi-speed’ Europe on ESDP

In the Press

The Kyiv Post - 11 Mar 10

A piece on the EU and Ukraine, quoting Wilson and Popescu’s recent report.

The Prague Post - 10 Mar 10

Korski: “The Anglo-American strategy in Afghanistan has hit an absolute low mark.”

Reuters - 08 Mar 10

Daniel Korski on what lies ahead for Baroness Ashton.

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