What does the rest of the world expect from the EU?
The Council of Councils is an initiative led by one of the biggest US think tanks, the Council on Foreign Relations. It connects leading foreign policy institutes from 24 countries around the world in conversation on issues of global governance and multilateral cooperation. CEPS is the only Belgian think tank taking part in the network […]
Why it’s businesses (and not the European Commission) that need to ensure sustainable supply chains
It’s the same old story – when push comes to shove, no one wants to pay, especially for sustainability. We want more sustainable practices, production and supply chains but there are few who are willing to actually open their wallets for such a cause. In the last few weeks several actors have urged the European […]
With the Harris-Trump battle in full swing, the EU must take the future of the transatlantic relationship into its own hands
After last week’s Democratic National Convention (DNC), Europeans may start studying the polling data coming out of rural Pennsylvania or Michigan to gauge their fate. While recent polling suggests President Biden’s decision to pass the torch has provided a much-needed boost to the Democrats, that doesn’t negate the real possibility of a second Trump presidency. […]
With Incredible India, one should always expect the unexpected
The 2024 Indian elections brought an unexpected resurgence of a real multiparty democratic system. With its 1.4 billion people, India is certainly the largest democracy in the world, and the EU, buoyed by the election results, should continue to actively engage with India as a major partner – in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. Prime Minister […]
Strengthening Europe’s democratic identity and security in a more autocratic world
Much attention is rightly being paid to the well-documented tendencies in most of the world’s regions for autocracy to have been gaining some ground in the last two decades at the expense of democracy. Europe has not been immune from the impact of the several megatrends and profound systemic shocks that seem to have been […]
What Putin’s farcical ‘re-election’ means for the EU
Vladimir Putin now adds another six years to his reign in the Kremlin after ‘winning’ a fraudulent election on 17 March with 88 % of the vote. Now he may feel inclined to become even more aggressive towards Ukraine and the rest of Europe. The risks for the EU and its civilisation are now truly […]
The EU and India agree to disagree on Ukraine… and that’s ok
India’s continued economic relationship with Russia spikes fears in the West that India could facilitate the circumnavigation of sanctions against Russia. This is on top of India’s refusal to openly condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, leaving the EU far from happy. Nevertheless, relations with India are far too important to risk serious deterioration, so […]
Exit Boris – and what now for the UK and its relations with the EU
We may have to leave it to historians to tell us whether Boris Johnson was the worst British prime minister ever. We do know, however, how many of his policies have been disastrous. Quitting the EU’s single market has been unambiguously negative for the UK. The idea that ‘taking back control’ would liberate and dynamise […]
The Biden presidency is a last call for Europe
The presidency of Joe Biden heralds an opportunity for Europe, and more particularly the EU, to revive its relationship with the US. But it may also be its last chance. The EU will have to demonstrate tangible progress in the areas of defence, trade and global policy stances generally to ensure the good will of […]