-
The first beneficiaries of 1989
Host Mark Leonard has an intimate discussion with our heads of offices from Sofia and Warsaw, Vessela Tcherneva and Piotr Buras about their experiences, hopes and dreams during the transition times of the 1990s. How did their life and future change the minute the Berlin Wall fell? What are this generation’s thoughts 30 years later and predications for Europe in the coming 30 years?
This podcast was recorded on 21 November 2019.
Bookshelf:
- "The light that failed" by Ivan Krastev
- "Bulgaria under Communism" by Ivaylo Znepolski et al.
- "Reflections on a ravaged century" by Robert Conquest
- "Die Welt braucht den Westen" by Thomas Kleine-Brockhoff
The Lost Promise of 1989 (Commentary)
Mark Leonard - 19 November 2019
As is often the case, deep historical shifts tend to show up first in popular culture, and only then in formal politics. That is why we should look at the complex legacy of 1989 not only in the formal celebrations being held in Berlin, but also in the stands of a soccer stadium in Sofia.
Belarus votes: Could its verdict matter? (Commentary)
Olga Dryndova - 15 November 2019
Belarus could be standing on the brink of change. The EU should not ignore events on its outer border – and, indeed, should look for new ways to engage its neighbour.
Russia's 1989
In the second in our series on the events of 1989 and how they will shape our world for decades to come, host Mark Leonard is joined by Fyodor Lukyanov. Lukyanov is Editor-in-Chief of Russia in Global Affairs, Chairman of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, and Research Director of the Valdai International Discussion Club. In this podcast, recorded in Dubai, the two discuss America's and Russia's differing views on the Cold War and its end. The trauma of 1989, but also the euphoria it generated in Europe, and Putin's development as a political actor, are set into context. This context allows for a multifaceted understanding of the events of 1989.It also allows the arc of Russian foreign policy to be traced to today, and in doing so provides a useful accompaniment to the Eurocentric 1989 celebrations.
This podcast was recorded on 4 November 2019.
Bookshelf:
- "Perestroika: New Thinking for Our Country and the World" by Mikhail S. Gorbachev
Hopes for the future dashed: Balkans security after the French veto (Commentary)
Beáta Huszka - 14 November 2019
The European Council’s failure to open accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania could mark a turning point for peace in the Western Balkans.
Can regulation save the Internet? The view from London (Commentary)
Carla Hobbs - 14 November 2019
Figures from across government, the private sector, and wider society argue in favour of adequate regulation to mitigate the harmful effects of the internet. But what should this regulation look like?
Bringing the radical right in: Lessons learned from Spain (Commentary)
José Ignacio Torreblanca - 13 November 2019
Vox’s success in Spain illuminates some of populism’s successful escalation strategies, as well as the mistakes of mainstream parties.
Two people separated by a common idea: Why Macron and AKK agree (Commentary)
Ulrike Esther Franke - 12 November 2019
Macron’s and AKK’s distinct styles obscure a core agreement: threats to the transatlantic relationship mean that European countries must finally stand up and defend themselves.
-
Policy Brief
All at sea: Europe’s crisis of solidarity on migration
by Shoshana Fine - 14th October, 2019
The European Union’s approach to migration has created a crisis of solidarity.
PDF
Policy Brief
False moves: Migration and development aid
by Shoshana Fine & Susi Dennison & Richard Gowan - 08th October, 2019
Europe should not confuse development aid’s role in reducing forced migration with that of reducing migration more broadly
PDF
Policy Brief
The instinctive multilateralist: Portugal and the politics of cooperation
by Susi Dennison and Lívia Franco - 02nd October, 2019
The Portuguese hope that the EU can help them tackle the challenges of globalisation: from climate change to cooperation on the impact of freedom of movement
PDF
Policy Brief
Give the people what they want: Popular demand for a strong European foreign policy
by Susi Dennison - 10th September, 2019
European voters want to see the European Union come of age as a geopolitical actor and chart its own course
PDF
Policy Brief
Three crises and an opportunity: Europe’s stake in multilateralism
by Richard Gowan & Anthony Dworkin - 05th September, 2019
Despite the existing crises to the multilateral system, the EU possesses a set of specific strengths needed to actually save the system.
PDF
Policy Brief
Border games: Has Spain found an answer to the populist challenge on migration?
by Shoshana Fine & José Ignacio Torreblanca - 03rd September, 2019
Spain, and Europe, need a new story about migration – it remains to be seen how the country will put this into practice.
PDF
Flash Scorecard
Independence play: Europe’s pursuit of strategic autonomy
by Ulrike Esther Franke & Tara Varma - 18th July, 2019
To fulfil its true potential, the EU needs to end its strategic cacophony and focus on capability building
Policy Brief
From plaything to player: How Europe can stand up for itself in the next five years
by Carl Bildt, Mark Leonard - 17th July, 2019
-
Could Germany make a geopolitical turn on financial policy? (Commentary)
Jonathan Hackenbroich - 09 December 2019
Internationalising the euro is no longer the taboo it once was in Germany. Quietly, but indisputably, views in Berlin are starting to shift.
Open Skies: Trump’s next big blunder? (Commentary)
Gustav Gressel - 04 December 2019
Partisan argument in Washington is helping undermine the Open Skies Treaty. The US could lose one of the most useful instruments in its relations with Russia.
Will Europe Ever Trust America Again? (Commentary)
Ivan Krastev - 04 December 2019
As Western leaders gather in London this week, you might be able to detect a huge rupture beneath the surface.
Another NATO summit train wreck? Here’s hoping (Commentary)
Nick Witney - 02 December 2019
NATO leaders should put the US security guarantee at the heart of this week’s summit. The fractious meeting that results could even be a good thing for Europe.
A very American crisis: Why Trump is still NATO’s biggest problem (Commentary)
Jeremy Shapiro - 02 December 2019
To all appearances, Macron and Erdogan are NATO’s latest troublemakers. But it is US indifference that enables their antics.
The benefits of political fragmentation (Commentary)
Pawel Zerka - 29 November 2019
The EU's new pluralism has made public debate more political, as parties and groups have become careful to protect their distinct identities.
The makings of a “geopolitical” European Commission (Commentary)
Mark Leonard - 28 November 2019
As if incoming European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was not already inheriting a full plate of major challenges, she has also promised to reshape the EU into a “geopolitical” force to be reckoned with. To succeed, she will need to pass seven tests, in areas ranging from climate change to cyber security and competition policy.
Paradigm lost: A post-Merkel Germany in a post-Kohl Europe (Commentary)
Josef Janning - 27 November 2019
If Europe isn’t what it used to be, this is largely because Germany isn’t what it long wanted to be.
-
The first beneficiaries of 1989
Host Mark Leonard has an intimate discussion with our heads of offices from Sofia and Warsaw, Vessela Tcherneva and Piotr Buras about their experiences, hopes and dreams during the transition times of the 1990s. How did their life and future change the minute the Berlin Wall fell? What are this generation’s thoughts 30 years later and predications for Europe in the coming 30 years?
This podcast was recorded on 21 November 2019.
Bookshelf:
- "The light that failed" by Ivan Krastev
- "Bulgaria under Communism" by Ivaylo Znepolski et al.
- "Reflections on a ravaged century" by Robert Conquest
- "Die Welt braucht den Westen" by Thomas Kleine-Brockhoff
Russia's 1989
In the second in our series on the events of 1989 and how they will shape our world for decades to come, host Mark Leonard is joined by Fyodor Lukyanov. Lukyanov is Editor-in-Chief of Russia in Global Affairs, Chairman of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, and Research Director of the Valdai International Discussion Club. In this podcast, recorded in Dubai, the two discuss America's and Russia's differing views on the Cold War and its end. The trauma of 1989, but also the euphoria it generated in Europe, and Putin's development as a political actor, are set into context. This context allows for a multifaceted understanding of the events of 1989.It also allows the arc of Russian foreign policy to be traced to today, and in doing so provides a useful accompaniment to the Eurocentric 1989 celebrations.
This podcast was recorded on 4 November 2019.
Bookshelf:
- "Perestroika: New Thinking for Our Country and the World" by Mikhail S. Gorbachev
Three crises and an opportunity: Europe’s stake in multilateralism
The multilateral system faces three related crises of power, relevance, and legitimacy. This fraying consensus threatens the EU, which is committed to multilateralism. But the situation also represents an opportunity for European influence! Mark Leonard discusses Europe's stake on multilateralism with the ECFR experts Richard Gowan and Anthony Dworkin.
The podcast was recorded on 19 September 2019.
Bookshelf:
Von der Leyen's EU Commission: Picks for a Union that strives for more
Mark Leonard is meeting his ECFR colleagues, Tara Varma, Piotr Buras and Teresa Coratello in Berlin to go through the newly selected EU Commission. What have been surprises, disappointments and challenges in von der Leyen's new cabinet? And what role did geopolitics play during the selection process?
This podcast was recorded on 10 September 2019.
Read von der Leyen's Vision Statement here:
Bookshelf:
Meddling or Bargaining? - Emmanuel Macron's Iran Initiative
This week, ECFR director Mark Leonard discusses with experts Ellie Geranmayeh and Julien Barnes-Dacey the French president Emmanuel Macron's bold initiative: Europeans are now to explore a credit line for Iran to entice the sanctions-battered country to keep abiding by an international nuclear deal. But the US and president Trump are sceptical.
Bookshelf:
- "Crashed" by Adam Tooze
- "21 Lessons for the 21st Century" by Yuval Harari
- "Eric Hobsbawm: A Life in History" by Richard J. Evans
The podcast was recorded on 6 September 2019.
The EU's New Top Personnel
This week, ECFR director Mark Leonard discusses the new faces of the European Council: from Ursula von der Leyen to Josep Borrell, these are the figures who will lead Europe over the coming years. Mark is joined by an all-star cast from four ECFR offices across Europe.
Bookshelf:
Wes Mitchell: Perhapsburg (American Interest)
Francis Fukuyama: Identity
John Mearsheimer: The Great Dillusion: Liberal Dreams and International Realities
Alexandros Yannis: Chimera: A Novel
Luuk von Middelaar: Alarums and Excursions – Improving Politics on the European Stage
Parag Khanna: The Future is Asian
German philosophy about Europe from Immanuel Kant to Jürgen Habermas
Robert Menasse: Die Hauptstadt
ECFR: Strategic sovereignty: How Europe can regain the capacity to actThe podcast was recorded on 5 July 2019
France's European strategy: The reality check with Shahin Vallée
Ever since his Sorbonne speech in the summer of 2017, Emmanuel Macron has been in search for allies to support his vision of a Renaissance for Europe. His first bet was the alliance with Germany, difficult enough to get in light of Merkel’s scepticism about high flying concepts. Macron then had to deal with opposition from the North, conflicts with Italy and lack of outreach to the East. After the European election, our speaker has told the Guardian, Macron appears to have lost essential momentum: “Once a beacon of hope for change, the president risks turning into a junior coalition partner in the management of a status quo in Europe.” What is next for France and for Macron’s Europe strategy?
The event was held on 3 July 2019 in ECFR's Berlin office.
What is Europe's maritime security role in the South China Sea?
Le podcast de notre BCM du 24 juin « What is Europe's maritime security role in the South China Sea? » en présence de Mathieu Duchâtel, directeur du programme Asie à l’Institut Montaigne, Delphine O, ambassadrice et secrétaire générale de la Conférence mondiale de l’ONU et John Nilsson-Wright, senior fellow au programme AsiaPacific de Chatman House.
-
Video: Borrell returns: His vision for Europe
ECFR - 22 May 2019
An exclusive ECFR Madrid interview with Josep Borrell, Spanish Foreign Minister and lead PSOE candidate for the European Parliament elections, on the European Union and his vision for it
Video: Ivan Krastev on fears and hopes ahead of the European Parliament election
Ivan Krastev - 09 May 2019
Ivan Krastev talks from Warsaw on how voters in many EU countries are more worried about nationals leaving the country than about foreigners coming in, as a recent ECFR survey shows.
Video: “War and Peace: Has Trump made the world more dangerous?”
Mark Leonard - 26 April 2019
Mark Leonard participates in a debate organised by The Institute of Art and Ideas (IAI) in London.
Video: The Four Crises of Europe: Felipe González and the European Elections
José Ignacio Torreblanca - 08 April 2019
ECFR Madrid sits down with former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe González to discuss topics such as the state of the European Union ahead of May's European Parliament elections, the rise of Eurosceptic parties, Brexit, and relations with the US and Russia.
-
The Guardian
08th December, 2019
José Ignacio Torreblanca quoted on how the Franco-German relationship blocks a more assertive EU and common foreign policy.
TOK FM
04th December, 2019
"Powinno nam zależeć na tym ,żeby NATO było stałym sojuszem i USA były jak najgłębiej zaangażowane w Europie" - dyrektor warszawskiego biura ECFR Piotr Buras komentuje aktualną kondycje Sojuszu Północnoatlantyckiego.
Tageblatt
02nd December, 2019
The Letzebuerger Tageblatt informs about Mark Leonard's demands for the new EU Commission.
Krytyka Polityczna
02nd December, 2019
Dyrektor warszawskiego biura ECFR, Piotr Buras, pisze o niewyparzonym języku prezydenta Francji, za którym kryją się jednak trafne obserwacje i diagnozy.
Handelsblatt
02nd December, 2019
Handelsblatt published Nick Witney's op-ed on the NATO summit in London.
-
Upcoming events
There are no upcoming events
Past events
« Une proposition pour une nouvelle architecture de sécurité européenne »
Paris - 28 Nov 19
Nous avons le plaisir de vous inviter à une table ronde en présence de Jeremy Shapiro, Pierre Vimont et Sylvie Kauffmann.
Will President Trump kill transatlanticism?
Berlin - 12 Nov 19
Another event of our Foreign Policy Club series, discussing current US foreign policy and what it means for Europe.
Europe’s bid to be a digital regulatory superpower: Implications for the US
Madrid - 23 Oct 19
ECFR Madrid, en colaboración con Telefonica, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace y la Embajada de España en Washington, organizó el evento "La apuesta de Europa por ser un súper poder regulatorio: Implicaciones para EEUU" en Washington.
Trust and Security in Cyberspace
Madrid - 21 Oct 19
ECFR Madrid, en colaboración con Telefónica y Microsoft, celebró un evento sobre Confianza y Seguridad en el Ciberespacio y sobre el Paris Call en Madrid.
« Elections en Pologne : espoirs, craintes, et implications pour l’Europe »
Paris - 14 Oct 19
Nous avons le plaisir de vous inviter à un Black Coffee Morning sur le thème suivant : « Elections en Pologne, le jour d’après : espoirs, craintes, et implications pour l’Europe » en présence de David Cadier et Pawel Zerka.
Roundtable on Energy Security
Berlin - 09 Oct 19
Rountable discussion on european energy strategy and the role this plays in transatlantic relations. This event is in cooperation with the Atlantic Council and the Aspen Institute Germany.
Bewitched by Brexit: Referendums and modern democracy
Paris - 01 Oct 19
Nous avons le plaisir de vous inviter à un Black Coffee Morning sur le thème suivant : « Bewitched by Brexit: Referendums and modern democracy » en présence de Caroline de Gruyter, Carole Ulmer, et Jeremy Shapiro.
Workshop: Can regulation save the internet?
Berlin - 24 Sep 19
Closed Workshop on the future of internet regulation with experts from the private sector, civil society, and government.