Research & Press
Europe's NATO balancing act
24 May 2017
This week in Brussels, Europe's leaders must not only convince President Donald Trump of NATO's value, but also push for Europe's NATO priorities.
Bulletin Issue 114 - June/July 2017
24 May 2017
- Why no deal would be much worse than a bad deal, John Springford, Simon Tilford
- Macron, Merkel and the future of the euro, Charles Grant
- Europe's forgotten refugee crisis, Camino Mortera-Martinez
A flexible EU: A new beginning or the beginning of the end?
18 May 2017
The EU needs to become more flexible if it is to tackle current and future challenges effectively. But it should do so transparently, and remain inclusive.
Good cop, bad cop: How to keep Britain inside Europol
16 May 2017
A post-Brexit deal on Europol should be relatively easy to negotiate. The UK could retain a special status, but the British government will need to make some concessions.
Unfreezing TTIP: Why a transatlantic trade pact still makes strategic sense
11 May 2017
Despite concerns about Trump's views on trade, a transatlantic deal would bring foreign policy benefits. If only Europe could get its act together.
A prime minister unshackled
09 May 2017
Checks on prime ministerial power are weak in Britain – and Theresa May’s massive parliamentary majority after the general election will weaken them further. In the context of Brexit, this is dangerous.
How will Germany respond to Emmanuel Macron?
08 May 2017
Germany is divided on how to respond to Macron: some are wary of a new bargain to revive the Franco-German alliance, others are enthusiastic.
The British and their exceptionalism
03 May 2017
Few countries have allowed their sense of exceptionalism to damage their interests in the way Britain is doing. British overconfidence is unjustified and will come at a heavy price.
Brexiting Swiss-style: The best possible UK-EU trade deal
24 April 2017
The softest form of hard Brexit that is plausible – given the red lines of the 27 and Britain – is something like Switzerland's deal with the EU.
No entry: What Trump’s migration policies mean for the EU
10 April 2017
Trump's 'Muslim ban' does not apply to EU citizens. But his migration and security policies may have unexpected effects in Europe.
Is the EU's single market leading to convergence or divergence?
04 April 2017
The single market's 'agglomeration effects' – the tendency of wealthier areas to attract capital and skills – seem as strong as the 'catch-up effects' of poorer members importing capital and expertise.
Bulletin Issue 113 - April/May 2017
20 March 2017
- The meaning of Macron, Charles Grant
- Can Martin Schulz beat Angela Merkel?, Christian Odendahl
- Playing defence, Sophia Besch
Berlin to the rescue? A closer look at Germany's position on Brexit
17 March 2017
Brexiters hope that Berlin will adopt an accommodating stance in the forthcoming negotiations because of Germany's economic and security interests. Such hopes are misplaced.
The EU, the Eurasian Economic Union and One Belt, One Road: Can they work together?
16 March 2017
The EU, Russia's Eurasian Economic Union and China's One Belt, One Road initiative may become rival spheres of influence. But could they complement each other instead?
Contested space: Eastern Europe between Russia and the EU
09 March 2017
The EU's Eastern Partners are caught between the West, which excludes them from its organisations, and Russia, which tries to force them into its orbit.
Double Dutch: Why Wilders wins, even if he stays out of government
03 March 2017
The anti-migrant, anti-Islam, eurosceptic firebrand Geert Wilders could come out on top in this month’s Dutch elections. If so, he will be kept out of government, for now.
Trump, trade and the EU: Two wrongs don't make a right
23 February 2017
The US will not gain by resorting to protectionism. If it does so, the EU should stay calm, listen when US criticism is justified, and make its first priority the defence of the WTO process and the rule of law.
The end of the transatlantic trade consensus?
21 February 2017
Trump, Brexit and European scepticism about TTIP spell the end of transatlantic leadership on trade.
Mrs May's emerging deal on Brexit: Not just hard, but also difficult
20 February 2017
What will the Brexit deal look like? Which are the key decisions that Theresa May still has to make? And what should she do in order to get the best possible deal?
Crisis of capitalism? Perhaps, but don't blame it on globalisation
10 February 2017
Globalisation did not force governments to adopt policies that divided their countries, exacerbated inequality and hit social mobility. Many of them did those things by choice.