Research
Four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine: Four lessons for European leaders
24 February 2026
For their own security as well as Ukraine’s, European leaders must tilt the balance of economic and military advantage against Putin.
The ECB's bid to strengthen the euro's global role
20 February 2026
As dollar dominance wobbles, Europe should boost the euro’s reach, led by bolder liquidity lines from the ECB.
The Mercosur deal tests Europe's geoeconomic ambition
19 February 2026
The struggle to ratify the deal exposes a weakness in Europe's geoeconomic agenda.
Europe’s future: Grounds for hope? - Annual report 2025
11 February 2026
The CER's annual report features an essay which analyses the many problems the EU faces, but concludes that it is not doomed.
EU-UK relations: Will 2026 be the year to reset the reset?
03 February 2026
A lot has changed in the world since the UK voted to leave the EU in 2016. In response, the UK and EU need to be more willing to change fundamental aspects of their post-Brexit relationship.
Can Hungary's opposition win and restore democracy?
21 January 2026
After 15 years, Viktor Orbán could lose power. But the opposition’s path is fraught with obstacles, from a lopsided electoral system to the extraordinary difficulty of restoring democracy even if they win.
The Ukraine Reparations Loan: How to fix Europe's financial plumbing
18 December 2025
As US support for Ukraine vanishes, Europe must overcome Belgian opposition and improvise fiscally to provide Kyiv with €210 billion.
Fixing the EU's broken Israel-Palestine policy
17 December 2025
The EU’s efforts to forge a common approach that promotes peace and human rights in the Israel-Palestine conflict have failed. As the EU rethinks its broader Middle East policy, a new approach cannot wait.
The paradox of French power
10 December 2025
France has a very weak government with an uncertain future, yet it remains a dominant force in EU policy-making. How does one explain this paradox?
Europe's clean tech industry between Trump's policies and Chinese pressure
09 December 2025
The EU needs a coherent clean tech strategy to fend off the US industrial & trade policy shock & Chinese market pressure.
Articles
Europa moet met industriebeleid ‘Tinder spelen’, niet celibatair worden, zegt econoom
14 February 2026
de Volkskrant
Anders dan wat de Europese leiders suggereerden, zijn er geen doorbraken bereikt op de concurrentietop van vorige week donderdag, zegt econoom Sander Tordoir. ‘Het probleem is dat de crisis niet acuut is.’
Wat gebeurt er na de val van de dollar?
13 February 2026
NRC Handelsblad
De zekerheid van de dollar als wereldanker neemt af. Dat schept een kans voor Europa, stelt Sander Tordoir, als het tenminste durft te kiezen.
Taking the Pulse: Can the EU attract foreign investment and reduce dependencies?
13 February 2026
Carnegie Europe
The contradiction between the buy European push and the deregulation drive is misguided.
Europe is chasing the wrong fix for its growth crisis
11 February 2026
Politico
Europe’s economy needs more growth — and fast. Without it, the continent risks eroding its economic foundations, destabilizing its political systems and being left without the strength to resist foreign coercion.
Trump is right about Europe’s weakness — and wrong about the cure
10 February 2026
Encompass
I disagree with nearly everything Trump has said about Europe, yet one sentiment in his world-order-shifting rhetoric holds some truth. At the WEF in Davos, Trump said, “we want Europe to be strong...”
Briti teadur Kaja Kallasest: ta on aus, teised juhid käituvad vahel nii nagu võiksime lihtsalt teeselda, et Trump juhib vaba maailma
23 January 2026
Postimees
«Ma tean, et ta ei ole Brüsselis universaalselt populaarne,» ütleb Briti mõttekoja CER vanemanalüütik, kunagine Ühendkuningriigi suursaadik Lätis Ian Bond Kaja Kallase esimest aastat Euroopa Liidu kõrge välisesindajana kokku võttes.
Press
Trump’s push to Make America Great Again is falling apart
25 February 2026
The Telegraph
“The Supreme Court ruling means allies will now refuse to ratify his one-sided trade deals or will slow-walk the implementation,” says John Springford, of the Centre for European Reform.
Four years in, Ukraine's war grinds on with no end in sight
24 February 2026
Courthouse News Service
Ukraine has suffered an estimated 500,000 to 600,000 troops killed, wounded or missing, according to the Centre for European Reform — a pace Ukraine, with a fraction of Russia’s population, cannot keep up indefinitely.
The EU should allow industry losers to die, not pick winners
24 February 2026
Bloomberg
Inviting like-minded allies into the supply-chain tent is one way that Europe can play industrial-policy Tinder, as economist Sander Tordoir recently put it, rather than stay celibate.
Wie Deutschland die Liebe zu China verlor
24 February 2026
The European
Merz hat seine eigene Position nicht klar formuliert. Daher, so Sander Tordoir vom Centre for European Reform, einem Thinktank, „ist Deutschlands Chinapolitik weder Fisch noch Fleisch“.
There’s only one way Putin will leave Ukraine
22 February 2026
The Sunday Times
As our former ambassador to Latvia, Ian Bond, observed to me: “Too many of its people have for so long been told that they are a nation surrounded by enemies who are constantly plotting against them.”
Wie stark soll Europa sich abschotten?
22 February 2026
Süddeutsche Zeitung
Es sei „ein verbreitetes Missverständnis“, sagt Sander Tordoir, Ökonom am Thinktank Center for European Reform, „dass es darum geht, Europa abzuschotten. Das stimmt – und es stimmt zugleich nicht.“ Im Kern rede man über gezielt gesetzte Nachfrageanreize bei der öffentlichen Beschaffung auf der einen Seite und Subventionen, die private Märkte steuern, auf der anderen. „Ein Ziel ist, chinesische Exporte nicht noch weiter mit europäischem Steuergeld zu subventionieren“, sagt er.
Europa pugna por dar un giro pragmático a su relación con China
22 February 2026
El Pais
Charles Grant, del Centre for European Reform, apunta que China “ve con desdén a los europeos, como una potencia en declive”.
How Germany fell out of love with China
19 February 2026
The Economist
Mr Merz has not made his own stance clear. As a result, says Sander Tordoir of the Centre for European Reform, a think-tank, “Germany’s China policy is neither here nor there.”
The World: The future of Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule in Hungary is uncertain
18 February 2026
“Magyar has cut through where so many opposition leaders failed because he knows how to play Orban at his own game” Zselyke Csaky told The World.
De vier landen van Centraal-Europa waren hecht, maar Boedapest en Warschau staan nu tegenover elkaar
15 February 2026
NRC Handelsblad
In politieke zin is de Visegrádgroep zo goed als dood, zegt Zselyke Csaky, analist bij denktank Centre for European Reform (CER). „De animositeit tussen de huidige Poolse en Hongaarse regeringen zit diep en omdat Babis veel pragmatischer is dan Fico, komt er ook geen opleving van een ‘kleine’ Visegrád.”
Podcasts
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Four years of war in Ukraine
24 February 2026
Ian Bond spoke with Andy Hunder and Victoria Vdovychenko about the economic, military and societal situation in Ukraine, four years since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Will 2026 be the year to reset the reset?
11 February 2026
Ian Bond discussed the reset in EU-UK relationship with Anton Spisak and Jannike Wachowiak.
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: The trade implications of ruptures in transatlantic relations
02 February 2026
Elisabetta Cornago discussed the trade implications of ruptures in EU-US relations with Anton Spisak and John Springford.
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Greenland and the NATO alliance
14 January 2026
Armida van Rij and Sten Rynning discuss how the Greenland crisis may become a turning point for the NATO alliance's future direction.
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: The EU in 2025
19 December 2025
Six of our researchers reflect on the past year and look ahead to 2026.
Events
CER/KAS hybrid launch of 'EU-UK relations: Will 2026 be the year to reset the reset?'
04 February 2026
Hybrid London/Zoom
With Ian Bond, Jannike Wachowiak and Kai Whittaker
CER/Swedish Enterprise discussion on 'Resilient growth: Aligning productivity and security'
10 December 2025
Brussels
With Aslak Berg, Zach Meyers, Lotta Nymann-Lindegren, Maive Rute and Anna Stellinger
Conference on 'Europe's precarious bid for third pole economic power'
21 November 2025 to 22 November 2025
Ditchley Park, UK
Speakers included: Elga Bartsch, Agnès Bénassy-Quéré, David Claydon, Arnab Das, Barry Eichengreen, Ole Funke, Francesca Ghiretti, Dirk Klaasen, Silvia Merler, Wolfgang Münchau, Erik Nielsen, Alexander Plekhanov, Hélène Rey, Elina Ribakova, Dorothée Rouzet, Moritz Schularick, Brad Setser, John Springford, Ángel Ubide and Maarten Verwey
Panel discussion and private viewing of 'Come with Us! - Democratic Transformations in Central and Eastern Europe after 1989'
11 November 2025
London
With Václav Bartuška, Ferenc Kumin, Laura Popescu, Asta Radikaitė and Pedro Serrano
Hybrid discussion on 'Scenarios for the future of Russia's war against Ukraine'
20 October 2025
Hybrid London/Zoom
With Lawrence Freedman, Iuliia Osmolovska and Oleg Synianskyi