Europe's World

Mixed thoughts of an EU newcomer

by András Inotai

After a promising start, the European Union’s enlargement process appears to be losing some of its momentum. András Inotai argues that if Europe is to retain its global influence then it must overcome that sense of “enlargement fatigue”, continue to reform and develop a clearer vision and mission for the 21st century

It’s time Europe got its economic policy act together

by Jim O'Neill - Jim O'Neill

Goldman Sachs’ research chief Jim O’Neill says that while the euro’s financial performance has been good, monetary union hasn’t fulfilled its economic promise. It is time for Europe to act more boldly, both inside the eurozone and on the world stage

Catalonia's policy on climate change

by Generalitat de Catalunya - le Gouvernement de Catalogne

Until the EU has a common Balkans policy, the US will call the shots there

by Eric Bonse - Eric Bonse

On Poul Byrup Rasmussen's "Taming the private equity fund "locusts""

by Simon Walker - Simon Walker

It’s not new, and it doesn’t get to the root of the problem

by Jochen Oppenheimer - Jochen Oppenheimer

Russia and Europe need a deal, but just how ‘big’ can it be?

by Mathias Roth

It’s the euro that has slowed Europe’s economic growth

by Marek Louzek - Marek Louzek

Europe needs to change its whole approach to sustainability

by Tony Juniper - Tony Juniper

The EU’s preoccupation with its global competitiveness is more than cancelling out its measures to protect the environment, says Friends of the Earth’s Tony Juniper. He calls for a radical reassessment of sustainability policies in Europe

The steps needed to move ESDP from theory to fact

by Henri Bentégeat - Henri Bentégeat

Financial as well as political solidarity is crucially important if the EU’s military capabilities are to be adequately developed. Henri Bentégeat, the French General who is chairman of the European Union’s Military Committee, sets out the practical steps that have already been taken, and that those still lie ahead

“I’m all in favour of ambitious vehicle emission goals, but they have to be achievable”

On Wolfgang Petritsch's "The EU must speed up its western Balkans enlargement"

by Hannes Swoboda - Hannes Swoboda

Why we must learn to say No to Russia

by Vytautas Landsbergis - Vytautas Landsbergis

Vytautas Landsbergis, Lithuania‘s first President after the country quit the Soviet Union, explains why he is convinced that Russia is a threat to Western democracies, and warns of Russia‘s ambitions to use its energy resources as a tool in international power politics

Sharing a vision of “the new Europe”

by Mark Eyskens - Mark Eyskens

Former Belgian Prime Minister Mark Eyskens says he understands why Europe’s citizens care little for the details of EU constitutional reform. But he suggests that a glimpse of the future is essential to understanding today’s choices

Change matters, to all of them

by Bart Kerremans

Towards fairer burden-sharing in NATO

by Jaap de Hoop Scheffer - Jaap de Hoop Scheffer

It’s not only in Afghanistan that some NATO allies shoulder a greater share of defence costs and responsibilities, says NATO’s Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. He explains how the problem is now being addressed, and stresses that the alliance offers the best solution to the problem, even though it may never be “totally fair”

On Anders Fogh Rasmussen's "Europe's chance to become a global climate champion"

by Phil Woolas - Phil Woolas

Commentary on Robert Atkinson’s “How Europe can leap frog the US in productivity”

by Luke Georghiou

We should expect much from the EU, but it’s national policies that really matter

by Duncan Liefferink - Duncan Liefferink

On Mark Almond's "Why Turkey may turn its back on Europe"

by Gunther Krichbaum - Gunther Krichbaum

BULGARIA seethes over the ECB’s response to its “evro” hopes

by Roumen Avramov - Roumen Avramov

Why the private sector holds the key to better development aid

by Henrietta Fore - Henrietta Fore

American private sector capital flows to the developing world are, at $130bn annually, more than six times greater than official aid from the US. Henrietta Fore, the Administrator of USAID, says this underscores the importance of a wider trend towards public-private partnerships, and details some of the “lessons learned” that could interest European aid organisations

Make the western Balkans the EU’s next prize

by Doris Pack - Doris Pack

Kosovo’s declaration of its independence makes the disintegration of Yugoslavia complete. Doris Pack, looks at the prospects for its successor states, some of which have already taken the road to EU membership with others hoping to. She wants them to join the European family as soon as possible

What a truly democratic EU might look like

by Sabine Leidig - Sabine Leidig

Pretending that more democracy will automatically make the EU more popular misses the point, says Sabine Leidig who heads the ATTAC Germany office. She argues that the EU must be made to work for the people if it is ever to achieve real democratic legitimacy

Homegrown terrorism 1: We must slay the mythical dragons of “Eurabia”

by Muhammed Abdul Bari - Muhammed Abdul Bari

Europe has a long history of homegrown terrorism, says Muhammad Abdul Bari of the Muslim Council of Britain, even if today’s concerns centre on a handful of European Muslims claiming to act in the name of Islam. He examines the narratives that are doing the most damage

THIS SECTION WILL BE AVAILABLE AS OF 23 JUNE AND WILL INCLUDE CONTRIBUTIONS BY: Tony Juniper, Angus McCrone and Herman Mulder

The EU, Russia and the crisis of the post-Cold War European order

by Ivan Krastev

The post-Cold War European order has come to an end and the EU now finds itself confronting a new Russia – one determined to turn itself in a powerful international player. Faced with this, Ivan Krastev argues that the EU needs to adopt strategies that stop Russia from sending it into a benevolent global irrelevance

"Do you like the EU?" − The pollsters' puzzling conclusions

by Helen Szamuely - Helen Szamuely

Eurobarometer’s findings when measuring opinion in the EU can produce misleading results, warns Helen Szamuely of the UK’s Bruges Group think-tank. She traces the confusions in public opinion between “European values” and the EU itself

The case for climate change optimism

by Angus McCrone - Angus McCrone

Finding grounds for optimism in the global warming debate isn’t easy. But Angus McCrone points out that investment in clean renewable energy sources is rising much more quickly than human CO2 emissions. And game theory suggests that nations will eventually take unilateral steps to curb their carbon emissions

What to do about sovereign wealth funds

by Roland Koch - Roland Koch

Foreign investment is usually very welcome, but what if the investor hopes for more than a financial return? Roland Koch, Minister-President of Hesse, speculates on the ambitions of sovereign wealth funds, and discusses how they should be supervised

How Europe could leap-frog the US in productivity

by Robert Atkinson - Robert Atkinson

In some key areas Europe is ahead of the United States in the application of digital technologies, but it lags far behind the US in overall productivity. Robert Atkinson, outlines the reforms needed to make digital Europe work better

On Armand Clesse's "This enlargement mess"

by Janusz Onyszkiewicz - Janusz Onyszkiewicz

Still selling the Lisbon treaty to the sceptical DUTCH

by Mendeltje van Keulen - Mendeltje van Keulen

No, this is a political agenda and not about democracy

by Matej Avbelj - Matej Avbelj

What Europe’s past can tell us of its future

by Élie Barnavi - Élie Barnavi

Can European policymakers draw on lessons from the past to shape our thinking on the future? Élie Barnavi, one of the driving forces behind the “Musée de l’Europe” project in Brussels, explains why history matters

“Education is not an EU responsibility, but we need to be able to study anywhere in Europe”

Cliff-hanger vote will show the SWISS are not so detached over Europe

by René Schwok - René Schwok

The new kids on the R&D block

by Gerard Salole

Europe’s efforts to strengthen its research and innovation performance are still flagging, but now the world of charitable and philanthropic foundations is taking a hand. Gerry Salole reports on their activities, but warns that EU policymakers have yet to lighten their legal burdens

The questions facing Europe’s development bank

by Jean Lemierre - Jean Lemierre

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development was founded following the collapse of communism, and has turned out to be a resounding success. Jean Lemierre, who is stepping down after eighty years as its president, urges the EBRD’s shareholders to be true to its founding principles

Collective security yes, but not by a return to the Cold War

by Plamen Pantev

The case for cash aid to Africans − not to their governments

by Göran Holmqvist - Göran Holmqvist

The European Union is committed to scaling-up its aid to Africa. But traditional aid delivery methods like direct budget support are often unpopular in both donor and host countries. Göran Holmqvist argues for a new approach, and suggests that direct cash payments to Africa’s poorest citizens could be the answer

Cold War lessons for security policy today

by Alyson Bailes - Alyson Bailes

Nuclear armageddon was such a potent threat that it yielded disarmament deals and the OSCE’s collective approach to European security. But Alyson Bailes warns that not just pillars but “whole bastions” of European security architecture have now crumbled away

On Mark Leonard and Nicu Popescu's "A five-point strategy for EU-Russia relations"

by Boris Zala - Boris Zala

Homegrown terrorism 2: Breaking the vicious circle of marginalisation and radicalisation

by Busso von Alvensleben - Busso von Alvensleben

Countering homegrown terrorism in Europe is high on the security policy agenda, writes, Busso von Alvensleben of the German Foreign Ministry. But it will demand a much more sophisticated response than western societies have so far been capable of

Global economic “architecture” is no longer fit for purpose

by Herman Mulder - Herman Mulder

In an era of rapid population growth, global society can only prosper if economic growth increases welfare and well-being on a sustainable and inclusive basis, says Herman Mulder. For this to work, the world needs governments, business and civil society to collaborate in new institutions which are “fit for purpose”

Capitalism’s uncertain future

by Daniel Daianu

What will the world economy look like 25 years from now? Daniel Daianu says that sovereign wealth funds have major implications for global politics, and for the future of capitalism

Why the EU should be encouraging pluralist Muslim democracies

Policing Kosovo: The challenges awaiting EULEX

by Elisabeth Pond - Elisabeth Pond

Bringing the rule of law to Kosovo’s entrenched crime culture isn’t going to be easy, warns Elizabeth Pond. But she believes the EU’s peacekeepers have advantages that were denied its predecessor the “unloved UNMIK”

FINLAND’s power struggles result in mixed signals on foreign policy

by Michael Kull - Michael Kull - Henri Vogt - Henri Vogt

THIS SECTION WILL BE AVAILABLE AS OF 16 JUNE AND WILL INCLUDE CONTRIBUTIONS BY: Henrietta Fore and Göran Holmqvist

Future Challenges to Europe’s Healthcare Systems

by Sophia Tickell - Sophia Tickell

European healthcare budgets are under significant pressure, but focusing on short-term “value for money” to decide who gets what treatment is not the answer. Sophia Tickell, Chairperson of UK-based strategy consultancy SustainAbility, says it’s time to reach beyond borders and find new ways to collaborate

Open to change

by La Poste, International Mail Activities

“We have to combine tough environmental standards and an emphasis on innovation”

A new hope for Cyprus

Commentary on Robert Atkinson’s “How Europe can leap frog the US in productivity”

Yes, but it’s the energy dialogue that really matters

by Pami Aalto - Pami Aalto

Getting the Franco-German engine back into gear

by Ulrike Guérot - Guérot Ulrike

Although enfeebled, the Franco-German relationship is still the main driving force in the EU, says Ulrike Guérot. The challenge now is not just to revive it, but to make it the basis for a broader leadership mechanism

We have to fine-tune the rules on SWFs, as they’re here to stay

by István Körösi - István Körösi

On Jean-Paul Marthoz's "Bush's legacy will be NGOs with a truly global vision"

by Corina Cretu - Corina Cretu

Why Sarkozy’s Mediterranean plan is arousing suspicions

by Eduard Soler i Lecha - Eduard Soler i Lecha

French President Sarkozy’s proposal for a new “Mediterranean Union” underlines the fact that the EU’s policies in the region have so far fallen short of expectations says Eduard Soler I Lecha

On Igor Yurgens' "Forget politics; what Russia and the EU need is a shared economic space"

by Ria Oomen-Ruijten - Ria Oomen-Ruijten

Supposing the United States becomes isolationist

by Ian Bremmer - Ian Bremmer

Even the military and political power of the United States has an expiry date, says Ian Bremmer, a political scientist. When that happens, will the US continue to be the leader of the democratic world, but displaying less arrogance? Or will it become isolationist?

“France is taking on the EU presidency at a turning point for Europe”

THIS SECTION WILL BE AVAILABLE AS OF 25 JUNE AND WILL INCLUDE CONTRIBUTIONS BY: Busso von Alvensleben, Alyson Bailes, Muhammad Abdul Bari, Henri Bentégeat and Jaap de Hoop Scheffer

The EU and the Serbian Civil Society

by Sonja Biserko - Sonja Biserko

Think big, Russia and Europe, you both need an energy community

by Timofei Bordachev - Timofei Bordachev

Talks between Russia and Europe are so stymied by mutual suspicion that only a “big deal” can break the deadlock, says Timofei Bordachev. Cooperation over energy is a great opportunity to set bilateral relations on a whole new course.

How France intends to meet all those EU presidency expectations

by Jean-Pierre Jouyet - Jean-Pierre Jouyet

From immigration to defence, from social to environmental issues, there are high expectations throughout the EU for France’s stint in the chair. Its Europe Minister Jean-Pierre Jouyet previews the presidency agenda

The financial contagion now spreading worldwide

by Hannes Androsch - Hannes Androsch

The financial crisis that started in the US with the sale of unsuitable mortgages to unsuitable people has spread to Europe and the rest of the developed world. Former Austrian Finance Minister Hannes Androsch, warns that the world may be heading for a decade of severe Japanese-style deflation

“Business should realise that new sustainability criteria may please both their customers and shareholders”

THIS SECTION WILL BE AVAILABLE AS OF 16 JUNE AND WILL AMONG OTHERS INCLUDE CONTRIBUTIONS BY: Hannes Androsch, Roland Koch, Alexander Medvedev and Simon Serfaty

Eurosceptic NORWEGIANS quietly bow to Brussels’ power

by Erik O. Eriksen - Erik O. Eriksen

The pressures for a new Euro-Atlantic security strategy

by Simon Serfaty - Simon Serfaty

Divided on a wide range of issues, the 32-members of the Euro-Atlantic community need more than ever to assert their shared security aims, says Simon Serfaty. He argues that Europe must not wait for America to take the lead

Why EU and US geopolitical interests are no longer the same

by David P. Calleo - David P. Calleo

American and European policymakers have taken divergent paths of late because they have interpreted key trends differently, writes David P. Calleo. He traces the developments that have divided the formerly close Atlantic partners and assesses the outlook for the relationship

Blueprint for a new relationship with Russia

by Roderic Lyne - Roderic Lyne

The EU’s fractious relations with Moscow owe much to Europe’s “flying on the wrong compass course and heading further and further away from reality”, says Roderic Lyne. He explains how Brussels should re-set its political and economic autopilot

On Mark Almond's "Why Turkey may turn its back on Europe"

by Joost Lagendijk - Joost Lagendijk

Is Gazprom’s strategy political?

by Alexander Medvedev - Alexander Medvedev

The widespread view in Europe that Gazprom is a “political weapon of the Kremlin” is wrong, says top Gazprom executive Alexander Medvedev. He argues that it is the European Commission’s energy thinking that is cause for concern

Why the US is destined to remain a “European power”

by Bertel Heurlin

How intertwined are the United States and Europe? Bertel Heurlin traces the deteriorating transatlantic relationship, and explains why the US-EU partnership is set to continue despite its frictions

Mixed considerations on mixed thoughts

by Gabriela Dragan

On Igor Yurgens' "Forget politics; what Russia and the EU need is a shared economic space"

by Hans-Ulrich Klose - Hans-Ulrich Klose

Commentary on Sonja Biserko’s “The EU and the Serbian Civil Society”

by Florian Bieber