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EU institutions cannot fill that vacuum: While their governance still enjoys a shrinking political majority in the European Parliament, they can be hostage to party politics. Many of the EU’s decisions require implementation in the member states. Imposing measures without national ownership has proven an unsuccessful strategy in the past.

The case for Europe

Europe has the resources and ideas to grow stronger, but domestic challenges hinder their implementation. Achieving Europe’s strategic autonomy requires a radical shift in defense, security, and economic integration

Three member states implemented the 5G toolbox, with noticeable impact on their networks. The percentage of Chinese components in 5G mobile networks in Q4 2024 was 41% in Belgium, a significant reduction on its 100% dependence in Q4 2019. In the same period, the percentage of Chinese components in Romanian 5G fell from 61% to 44%.

Seventeen EU countries not ready to cut China 5G dependence

By: EBR | Wednesday, March 19, 2025

One decision by the Chinese Communist Party, with its deep ties to Huawei, could cripple Germany’s economy, triggering a widespread disruption across the entire EU

It suggests that some of the costs of the plan could come from a scheme that takes windfall profits from Russian assets inside the EU and uses them for the benefit of Ukraine.

EU diplomats suggest doubling military aid for Ukraine this year

By: EBR | Tuesday, March 18, 2025

The European Union should be prepared to go as far as doubling its military aid to Ukraine this year to 40 billion euros

Such a development would be dangerous for the rest of the world. The Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), to which all EU members are signatories, tries to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. If any European country worked towards gaining atomic weapons, it could undermine the agreement, so encouraging other nations to follow suit, including dangerous countries like Iran.

Europe’s Dr Strangelove moment: Is a new nuclear arms race on the brink?

By: EBR | Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Could Germany and Poland’s request for nuclear protection from France and the UK spark a global arms race?

The signs are that Trump’s tactics to hasten a ‘peace deal’ that would amount to a win for Russia are backfiring in other ways. There’s much less resistance from several EU member states – and by the European Central Bank – to flouting international law by seizing some €250bn in frozen Russian assets. That would sustain Ukraine and ensure Russia pays towards its reconstruction, and would deal a body blow to Putin’s own credibility.

Four blunt messages Europe needs to send to Trump

By: EBR | Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Europe’s leaders need to send some blunt messages to Donald Trump in language he cannot fail to understand. Diplomatic nuances are evidently lost on him, so hard-hitting talk has become the only way forward

To put it bluntly: For Trump, Ukraine is nothing more than a buffer state between the spheres of influence of two great powers—the United States and Russia, notwithstanding the latter’s dismal economy and conventional military.

Europe’s Critical Choices: Securing Ukraine Without Trump

By: EBR | Wednesday, March 5, 2025

To secure Ukraine and the continent, European countries must take action that Trump and Putin cannot ignore. This will require making three crucial but divisive choices on how to deploy financial and military capabilities.

“Our forecasts show that the world will need more gas for power generation, heating and cooling, industry and transport to achieve both the economic growth and climate goals’, the Shell report says.

Shell: Shortage of gas threatens Europe from 2030

By: EBR | Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Europe will have to contend with shortages of liquified gas (LNG) in five years’ time

Merz’s domestic agenda is clear: boosting investment across the board—including by loosening the debt break introduced in 2010 to curb surging government debt—and raising defense expenditure ahead of the NATO summit in June.But his defense and security agenda not only requires a DNA change for Germany; it is financially daunting. Merz needs to find political and financial support from the Bundestag to modernize the country’s armed forces instead of tinkering with reforms in the defense ministry.

Germany’s Chance to Lead Europe Strategically

By: EBR | Thursday, February 27, 2025

With Trump undermining the transatlantic alliance, Europe is in need of leadership. Germany’s incoming chancellor has a unique opportunity to empower the EU to take charge of its own security and defense.

Ukraine’s accession to the roaming area is expected to be formally validated in early July by a Council decision approved during an EU Council of ministers in its Trade configuration.De facto however, Ukraine has been permitted access to the EU’s roaming area since the start of Russia’s attack on the whole of the country.

One more step for Ukraine’s EU accession to its roaming area

By: EBR | Wednesday, February 26, 2025

The discussion coincides with a broader show of support by the EU to Ukraine

But for now, a major European grievance is that despite Western sanctions, Indian refineries have benefited from Russia’s reduced oil prices. New Delhi has helped turn Russian crude oil into diesel and gasoline for the global market – and with that, feed Moscow’s war machine.

Ursula von der Leyen dreams of a passage to India

By: EBR | Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Key obstacles to closer ties, however, are likely to be differing views on trade and New Delhi’s close ties with Moscow

The flat earth believers are back. Within a matter of weeks and the flick of a pen the entire post-Second World War social economic political and multilateral order is being ripped apart.

Europe’s choice

By: EBR | Friday, February 21, 2025

Europe must emerge as the voice of reason, thoughtfulness and kindness

According to a statement by the Italian government, a total of 90 individuals across 14 EU countries have been targeted in violation of established engagement rules and seven cases have been confirmed so far in Italy.

Italy’s spyware scandal shakes nation, but EU remains unmoved

By: EBR | Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Commission spokesperson maintains that national authorities are be responsible for investigating such cases, not the EU executive

Recently the geopolitical stakes rose even higher. It is not inconceivable that Hungary would, for example, block retaliatory tariffs against the United States, or disagree with increasing common borrowing for defense if the United States begins to withdraw. Also, the need to regularly renew sanctions against Russia gives Hungary, or any other wannabe disruptor, a very effective way to twist the European Commission’s arm.

Suspend Hungary’s Voting Rights to Save the EU’s Credibility

By: EBR | Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Hungary’s attempts to paralyze EU foreign policy through vetoes and blackmail continue. By failing to make Budapest pay, Brussels is normalizing such behavior and inviting further disruption

Merz claims that his five-point plan is in line with EU laws because the EU system is currently ‘dysfunctional’. Just look at the Dublin Regulation (2013) which obliges asylum seekers to submit their asylum application in the country of arrival.

Friedrich Merz accelerates Germany’s elections

By: EBR | Tuesday, February 11, 2025

The temperature rose to boiling point in the run-up to to Germany’s Bundestag elections on February 23 after a 28-year-old Afghan attacked a kindergarten class in Aschaffenburg, Bavaria, with a knife

Despite several EU statements regarding the need to reinforce the social dimension of European integration, the practical consequences fall far short of political expectations. The broadening and persistence of inequalities not only create obstacles to a sustainable path of inclusive growth but are also triggering increased levels of polarisation and fragmentation at the political level.

Developing the EU’s Renewed Social Contract is a necessity

By: EBR | Monday, February 10, 2025

The social component of the European market economy paradigm – the so-called ‘European social model’ – needs to be strengthened.

This is probably the time for a new EU push towards closer integration as with the single market or the euro or the common foreign and security policy back in the days of Jacques Delors. Yet, this is unlikely given the lack of appetite for new EU treaties which would be tough to negotiate and probably would not (in the present mood) survive a series of national referendums. But Ursula von der Leyen has made security and defence and competitiveness the two leitmotifs of her second Commission term, and she is right to do so.

EU-US relations in the age of Trump II: can Europe develop an effective strategy?

By: EBR | Monday, February 10, 2025

The time for jokes is over. We have seen enough of the Trump II administration during the past three weeks to know that the US President is not bluffing

The purpose of their presence? The unprecedented mineral wealth of North Kivu. Belgian NGOs estimate the value of gold, tin, cobalt and coltan (used, among other things, for mobile phones) in the former Belgian colony of around $24 trillion.

Desire for raw materials makes EU complicit in war

By: EBR | Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Owning raw materials is one of the key priorities of the new European Commission

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said there would be "no winners" in a trade war with the US. She stressed that tariffs would impact jobs and prices, adding that China would be "the one laughing on the side".

EU leaders vow to fight back if Trump imposes tariffs

By: EBR | Tuesday, February 4, 2025

EU leaders have vowed unity against Trump’s tariffs as they gather in Brussels to discusses defence and security issues

Against this backdrop, the EU faces a dilemma. As the largest economic power in the region, it cannot simply dismiss Serbia’s government. However, its appeasement of the Vučić administration has had unintended consequences.

Why the EU must change course on Serbia

By: EBR | Tuesday, February 4, 2025

By refusing to apply pressure on President Vučić, the EU is emboldening the Serbian government. If Brussels is serious about supporting democracy in the Western Balkans, it must empower the Serbian people—not their authoritarian rulers

Herbert Kickl, the head of the FPÖ, appears about to become Austria’s chancellor and in Germany, AfD is succeeding in imposing its anti-migration policies on large parts of the German political mainstream.

Austria and Germany: How Firewalls Fall

By: EBR | Thursday, January 30, 2025

The far right in Europe is about to take two decisive steps forward

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EU Actually

The digital euro is coming and that’s bad news

By: N. Peter Kramer

ECB President Christine Lagarde announced that EU legislation must be finalised in October to make sure nothing is standing in the way of the digital euro