How can the EU move closer to Ukraine without lowering accession standards? @miriamkosmehl.bsky.social & Christoph Michailow propose a "political membership" that deepens cooperation on security, reconstruction, and reforms while keeping full accession conditional. bst-europe.eu/europe-in-th...

Political EU Membership as a Bridge Out of the Geostrategic Grey Zone

Ukraine is not a typical case of EU enlargement. Though a recipient of transition assistance, it is also a partner of the EU in the fields of security, innovation, and resources. Its resilience, armed...

bst-europe.eu

Andy Burnham is UK Prime Minister. What's next? @jbenford-berlin.bsky.social examines 4 questions: Burnham's political constraints, the UK's options for its relationship with the EU, the domestic forces shaping those options, & where EU–UK relations go next. Read more bst-europe.eu/europe-in-th...

EU-UK Relations after Starmer: New Management, Old Strategic Bind

Burnham’s premiership is unlikely to revive the Brexit debate so much as reveal how little it ever settled. Ten years after the referendum, Britain remains caught between objectives that are becoming ...

bst-europe.eu

We're delighted to welcome Sir Ivan Rogers, former UK Permanent Representative to the EU, as our first Non-Resident Senior Fellow. Focusing on European econ policy, EU external relations & governance, & EU–UK relations, his expertise & experience will greatly enrich our work. Welcome aboard, Ivan!

“Times of change are times of opportunity.” With these words, Eckart von Klaeden kicks off our event with the Aspen Institute Germany at the Allianz Forum, a conversation on U.S. Foreign Policy with Amb. Rahm Emanuel. @bertelsmannst.bsky.social

Europe shouldn't try to outdo China or America on their own terms. A trusted digital infrastructure built on transparency, interoperability and democratic governance—in short, trust—can become Europe's strongest advantage, argues Martin Hullin. Read more: encompass-europe.com/comment/buil...

Building Europe's technical sovereignty

For decades, the narrative surrounding Europe’s digital future has been dominated by a single, demoralising metric: We are constantly reminded of how many years we trail the United…

encompass-europe.com

From our new issue: @jbenford-berlin.bsky.social and @nvondarza.bsky.social write of strategic innovation in the wake of shifting security priorities. Read about Europe's growing number of defense agreements and the structural implications of this cooperation: ip-quarterly.com/en/eu-search...

The EU in Search of New Partners

Brussels has signed 12 security partnerships in just two years. Together, they reflect the EU’s effort to diversify its security ties beyond its traditional reliance on the United States.

ip-quarterly.com

In a new policy brief, written by me & Malte Zabel (and based on insights from many colleagues), we present four scenarios for Europe in 2035. In this short video I explain the basics behind each one. Read more, including what lessons we drew from the scenarios, here➡️ bst-europe.eu/europe-in-th...

The UK may have escaped the EU but it never escaped us! @eupinions.bsky.social continued asking EU and UK citizens about Europe & their lives for 10 years. My favorite insight: Brexit didn't lead to the psychological divide you might have expected after 2016. Short🧵 bst-europe.eu/europe-in-th...

10 Years After the Brexit Referendum: What Public Opinion Reveals About EU–UK Relations

Ten years ago, Britain decided to leave the European Union. The Brexit referendum sent shockwaves across the continent. A decade later, the United Kingdom, the European Union and the wider world have ...

bst-europe.eu

Some thoughts on what UK change in government could mean for the EU relationship. Bottom line is that the UK's strategic dilemma hasn't changed and pressure to rethink red lines ahead of 2029 will rise. But plenty of pragmatic cooperation possible in the meantime. bst-europe.eu/europe-in-th...

EU-UK Relations after Starmer: New Management, Old Strategic Bind

Burnham’s premiership is unlikely to revive the Brexit debate so much as reveal how little it ever settled. Ten years after the referendum, Britain remains caught between objectives that are becoming ...

bst-europe.eu

Joined Welt TV earlier today to discuss G7 Summit takeaways from Évian and what they mean for transatlantic cooperation on Ukraine and Iran. Also highlighted new Bertelsmann research on European views of the US + our policy brief on 🇺🇸 policy toward 🇪🇺 six months after the NSS/NDS. Links below ⬇️

🚨 New Policy Brief 🚨 As G7 leaders convene this week, questions around transatlantic coordination, strategic resilience, and US policy volatility feel especially timely. Thus pleased to share our latest BSt Europe Policy Brief with @pwalkenhorst.bsky.social 🧵 bst-europe.eu/europe-in-th...

Six Months After the NSS and NDS: Navigating U.S. Volatility and Preserving Transatlantic Relations

The release of the U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS) and National Defense Strategy (NDS) at the turn of 2026 marked a critical inflection point in transatlantic relations. Together, they provided ...

bst-europe.eu

Ukraine is not a typical EU candidate. Already a partner in the fields of security, innovation, & resources, it lacks the institutions for full membership. “Political membership” could bridge that gap, write @miriamkosmehl.bsky.social & Christoph Michailow. Read more bst-europe.eu/europe-in-th...

Political EU Membership as a Bridge Out of the Geostrategic Grey Zone

Ukraine is not a typical case of EU enlargement. Though a recipient of transition assistance, it is also a partner of the EU in the fields of security, innovation, and resources. Its resilience, armed...

bst-europe.eu

This summer’s EU–UK summit is a chance to move towards flexible cooperation in areas where European security, resilience, & scale require closer coordination, write @jbenford-berlin.bsky.social, @dschwarzer.bsky.social, Fabian Zuleeg, & Jannike Wachowiak. Read more: bst-europe.eu/europe-in-th...

Reframing the Reset: From Post-Brexit Stabilisation to Strategic Partnership

Despite significant progress in key areas of EU-UK cooperation, the relationship is far from being substantively reset, leaving a growing strategic gap at its core. The rapidly changing geopolitical e...

bst-europe.eu

1/4 What could Europe look like in 2035? Together with colleagues from the @bertelsmannst.bsky.social @bst-europe.bsky.social team and Foresight Intelligence, we explored four possible, plausible futures for Europe through structured scenario-building.

Our new paper on EU-UK – jointly w/ Fabian Zuleeg of @epc-official.bsky.social @dschwarzer.bsky.social and @jannikewachowiak.bsky.social - looks towards the next summit and beyond. Short thread. www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de/en/publicati...

Reframing the Reset: From Post-Brexit Stabilisation to Strategic Partnership

bertelsmann-stiftung.de

The “China shock” is not just an economic challenge for Europe; it is also a security risk. If Europe loses industrial capacity, it also weakens its ability to scale defence production in times of crisis, argues @corajungbluth.bsky.social Read more here: bst-europe.eu/economy-secu...

Why the China Shock Is Also a Security Policy Risk

China’s economic power is putting increasing pressure on European and German industry. This is not only an economic challenge; it is also a security risk. To mitigate this risk, we need more stress te...

bst-europe.eu

On this #EuropeDay, we've just released fresh data referencing European polling data from Sept 2024 through Mar 2026 on perceptions of the EU's role in the world, its most valuable partners, the transatlantic relationship, and China as well. Access the full report here: bst-europe.eu/europe-in-th...

Can the EU act in the Middle East even when member states are divided? In this episode of Fokus Nahost, Christian Hanelt, our Senior Expert Europe Neighbourhood and the Middle East, discusses Europe’s role from Gaza to Iran & what strategic influence requires now. open.spotify.com/episode/3DQK...

EU in MENA – Acting without Unanimity. With Christian Hanelt

open.spotify.com

🚨New Publication🚨 Based on the latest @eupinions.bsky.social survey data, "Europe’s Call for Greater Independence" is out today. The main takeaway? 73% of Europeans now say the EU should “go its own way”, up from 63% in 2024. Also, 58% no longer see the US as a trustworthy partner. 🧵1/3

Today marks one of the biggest moments for the #EuropeanParliament in the negotiations on the next #MFF: MEPs gather in Strasbourg to adopt their position on the EU’s next seven-year budget. 1/11

Our latest newsletter by @dschwarzer.bsky.social is out now with info on: 🗳️What Hungary's election means for the EU 🤝How the EU Can Deliver in MENA 🌍Global Europe in the next EU budget And much more! Read it here: www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de/en/bst-europ...

All eyes are currently on Hungary - not only because of Tisza’s 137 seats in parliament or viral dance moves of the health minister-to-be, but also because the change in government will have major implications for the EU. Here are 3 ways the election results matter for the next EU budget #MFF 1/8

What will the world look like in 2035? From US–China rivalry to an “Authoritarian International” or even a world beyond states, @corajungbluth.bsky.social & @anikalaudien.bsky.social present six possible future configurations of power on the global stage. Read it here bst-europe.eu/europe-in-th...

Hungary's next parliamentary election takes place on April 12th, and Europe will be watching. Florian Kommer takes a look at what the EU should be prepared to do, depending on the outcome. Read his full analysis of the upcoming election here: bst-europe.eu/europe-in-th...

When it comes to the EU’s next #MFF, its external action heading, #GlobalEurope, has received far less attention than the others. Yet at a time when traditional development heavyweights are pulling back, the EU’s role in external action matters more than ever. So what’s in the COM proposal? 1/10

New! @annaheckhausen.bsky.social & Katharina Staudte flag 4 issues in the proposal for the Global Europe Instrument: 1️⃣ Balance flexibility w/ predictability 2️⃣ Clarity on programmable vs non-programmable funds 3️⃣ Role of the European Parliament? 4️⃣ Reporting & evaluation bst-europe.eu/investment-b...

What’s next for Global Europe? Unpacking the MFF proposal

The Commission’s proposed Global Europe Instrument (GEI) represents a major rethink of how the EU will fund external action in the next long-term budget. It consolidates existing programmes under a si...

bst-europe.eu

A new policy brief by Christian Hanelt & Celine Plöger shows how diverging national positions weaken EU action in MENA. Recommendations: ➡️ Stronger EU Special Representatives ➡️ CSDP as core delivery tool ➡️ Align economic instruments ➡️ More flexible decision-making bst-europe.eu/europe-in-th...

Acting without Unanimity: How the EU Can Deliver in MENA

The European Union’s (EU) foreign policy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is hampered less by a lack of resources than by political fragmentation among its member states. Diverging national ...

bst-europe.eu

Our latest newsletter is out today! In it are: 💶 A guide to the EU Budget for 2028-2034 🛡️ Mapping Europe's civil resilience initiatives 💼 A quick look at the "EU Inc." proposal And more! Read it here: www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de/en/bst-europ...

Europe is facing an increasingly complex risk environment. This mapping by Lena Schmalhorst & @heqs.bsky.social highlights a variety of civil, community- and citizen-led initiatives that strengthen societal preparedness across Europe. bst-europe.eu/security-pol...

Societal Preparedness in Europe: Mapping Civil, Community and Citizen-led Initiatives

Europe is facing an increasingly complex risk environment. From natural disasters and infrastructure failures to cyberattacks, disinformation and severe geopolitical tensions, the question is not whet...

bst-europe.eu

Europe is a digital rule-setter, but not yet digitally sovereign. To reduce dependencies (cloud, chips, AI), the EU needs strategic partners. India could be one, argues Murali Nair, saying sovereignty in tech can be built through cooperation, not isolation. bst-europe.eu/competitiven...

European Digital Sovereignty: Valuing Closer Cooperation with India from Regulatory Power to Strategic Capacity

Over the past decade, Europe has established itself as the world’s leading regulatory power in the digital domain. With the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Digital Markets Act (DMA), th...

bst-europe.eu