Germany's China Problem: What Can Europe Do About It? @sandertordoir.bsky.social joins @maxbergmann.bsky.social on The #Eurofile to discuss how surging Chinese exports impact Europe's economic model –– and whether Brussels has the tools and political will to push back. www.csis.org/podcasts/eur...

Germany's China Problem: What Can Europe Do About It? | The Eurofile | CSIS Podcasts

Max sits down with Sander Tordoir, Chief Economist at the Centre for European Reform. They dig into whether Brussels has the tools and political will to push back on Beijing, and how one October deadl...

csis.org

With Russia at the door and the US backing away, Europe has to build its own ‘way of war’. But even in a Europe-focused Nato 3.0, Washington would still want to call the shots. We need an insurance policy. My piece @guardian www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

With Russia at the door and the US backing away, Europe has to build its own ‘way of war’

Even in a Europe-focused Nato 3.0, Washington would still want to call the shots. We need an insurance policy, says Guardian Europe columnist Nathalie Tocci

theguardian.com

“We are experiencing a China Shock 2.0," says Tanja Gönner of the BDI. "It is affecting not just individual sectors, but the industrial economy as a whole: through dependencies on CRMs, a significantly undervalued currency, state-induced overcapacity …” www.handelsblatt.com/politik/konj...

Deutsche Wirtschaft: China-Konkurrenz belastet laut BDI die Wirtschaft

Der wirtschaftliche Druck lastet auf allen: Von außen als auch von innen ist die deutsche Wirtschaft einem harten Stresstest ausgesetzt. Brauchen wir mehr Widerstandsfähigkeit?

handelsblatt.com

An industry in crisis: VW confirmed 100,000 job cuts on July 24, Audi lowered revenue guide 8% July 27, Porsche extended its program to roughly 9,000 positions by 2035, BMW launched 8,000-place voluntary redundancy scheme July 29, Mercedes posted 22% EBIT rise on falling revenue

Perfect Brussels response: EU warns FIFA World Cup sell-off could breach competition law

EU warns FIFA World Cup sell-off could breach competition law | Euractiv

The reported scheme to effectively auction off the World Cup could breach EU rules, commissioner warns

euractiv.com

On the #RussianRoulette, @maxbergmann.bsky.social & I spoke with @drjademcglynn.bsky.social about how the war is reshaping Russian public opinion & what those shifts mean for the Kremlin.We also discussed other news from Melnichenko's Economist interview to Ukraine's military leadership changes. 1/2

Russian Attitudes Are Shifting as the War’s Effects Come Home

Ukraine's long-range strikes on Russian refineries combine military and economic pressure in ways previous shocks did not. While unlikely to transform public opinion, they raise the Kremlin's domestic...

csis.org

German officials are working behind the scenes to identify Chinese economic vulnerabilities that they could exploit if the EU finds itself in a trade war with Beijing Berlin is informally mapping China’s weaknesses by analysing trade flows, supply chains and company-level data

Deep thought. If America hadn't blocked Tony Blair's effort at St. Malo to create EU defense (an EU rapid reaction force), I don't think Brexit happens. The UK would have been a pillar and leader in EU defense, shifting the frame in Britain about what the EU was about.

The winning design. 🇪🇺💶

Ran into @maxbergmann.bsky.social at the #EUdefense summit (or forum?!), and asked him to share why such events matter these days:

Both Kaja Kallas and Wang Yi attended this week's Asean forum in the Philippines. But they did not meet and Wang has left for the SCO summit. Now more than a year since they met properly, in Brussels. They briefly spoke at last year's Asean forum, but nothing meaningful

EU agrees 21st sanctions package but at great cost: allowing Greek shipping firms (essentially one firm) to keep exporting Russian LNG. My read: While this exemption may help Mitsotakis at home, it will severely dent the PM's hopes of landing a top EU job one day. Memories are long in Brussels.

Without Ukraine's incredible successes on the battlefield, would this have happened? www.euronews.com/my-europe/20...

Brussels slaps €890m fine on Google despite looming new US tariffs

Brussels fined Google €890 million under its Big Tech rulebook for favouring its own services in search results and restricting app developers, despite Washington preparing a fresh set of trade tariff...

euronews.com

We now have detailed Chinese trade data for the first half of 2026 - the deterioration in the EU's trade position was strikingly broad-based. China's trade surplus widened with 20 of the bloc's 27 member states, including every major economy except France

As EU ambassadors begin a crunch debate on the next round of Russia sanctions, with billions of euros worth of LNG exports and oil revenues hanging in the balance, the @financialtimes.com editorial board lays out the crude truth Background here: as.ft.com/r/3ac50792-e...

Conditions for this game could not be better and still insane playing at 3pm in New York in summer

Trade war update: France & Germany to draw up roadmap on China shock before Oct European Council "Macron, who noted France and Germany had “never been so convergent on China,” blasted what he described as Beijing’s open trade war and increasingly aggressive trade practices."

Was This World Cup More Political? ⚽🏆 On the newest State of Play episode hosted by @geopolitics.csis.org @willtodman.bsky.social, @victordcha.bsky.social, @maxbergmann.bsky.social, and Enoh Ebong discuss host-nation diplomacy, FIFA's impact, and more. Watch it here:

On The Power Vertical Podcast this week, I spoke to Mike Carpenter and Max Bergmann @maxbergmann.bsky.social about the firing of Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. www.powervertical.org/2026/07/17/w...

‘WHY BREAK WHAT’S WORKING?’ – THE STRANGE SACKING OF UKRAINE’S DEFENSE MINISTER

powervertical · 'WHY BREAK WHAT'S WORKING?' – THE STRANGE SACKING OF UKRAINE'S DEFENSE MINISTER Mass protests broke out in Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Kharkiv, and other Ukrainian …

powervertical.org

Huge new report from us at CSIS. Bottom line, don't sleep on the Russian defense industry. They can produce at Soviet-style scale (their CEOs aren't waiting for long term contracts), they have market-competition, and are learning from the battlefield. Not as innovative as Ukraine, but a big concern.

CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program@erep.csis.org · 3w ago

NEW: @msnegovaya.bsky.social @nicholasfenton.bsky.social @maxbergmann.bsky.social + Tina Dolbaia explore Russia's ability to meet current future wartime goals through the lens of five Russian defense firms, and what it means for NATO as attentions shift past Ukraine. www.csis.org/analysis/reb...

2-2 This is a systematic report, multiple authors and a large pool of expert reviewers, looking at selected major Russian defence companies and Russia's overall capacity to reconstitute military capabilities. An important read. www.csis.org/analysis/reb...

Rebuilding to Reconquer: Can Russia’s Defense Firms Deliver?

After four years of war, Russia’s defense industrial base has significantly reshaped, creating an asymmetric threat to NATO: It can rapidly scale production of weapons proven on the battlefield, combi...

csis.org

1-2 CSIS colleagues, @msnegovaya.bsky.social, @maxbergmann.bsky.social and others, firm up the case for a key concern I've had for 2+ years: if fighting in Ukraine stops, the Russian defence industry will continue production at wartime intensity, meaning a very rapid build-up for new aggression.

HAPPENING TODAY | Was the 2026 FIFA World Cup the most political tournament yet? ⚽ Join @csis.org experts @maxbergmann.bsky.social, @victordcha.bsky.social, Enoh T. Ebong, and @willtodman.bsky.social during a live State of Play recording. 📅 July 16 | 3:00 PM EDT 🔗

Was This World Cup More Political? | State of Play | CSIS Events

Please join CSIS experts to assess the geopolitical dimensions of this year's World Cup in a live episode of State of Play.

csis.org

That creates a growing challenge for NATO, whose defense industries remain largely organized for peacetime production. w/ @sambendett.bsky.social, @maxbergmann.bsky.social Please read, comment and share! www.csis.org/analysis/reb...

Rebuilding to Reconquer: Can Russia’s Defense Firms Deliver?

After four years of war, Russia’s defense industrial base has significantly reshaped, creating an asymmetric threat to NATO: It can rapidly scale production of weapons proven on the battlefield, combi...

csis.org

That European defence fragmentation costs as much as €57bn annually (~France’s defence budget) illustrates the vacuity of % spending targets blind to capabilities, integration, value for money and industrial sovereignty www.reuters.com/business/aer...

Macron calls go-it-alone defence strategies in Europe an 'absurdity'

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday warned European countries against go-it-alone national defence policies, as governments ramp up military spending in response to Russia's threat and pressure...

reuters.com

Such a fun conversation! Thank you, @maxbergmann.bsky.social - also for plugging my upcoming book!

CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program@erep.csis.org · 4w ago

NOW: The #Eurofile is LIVE! @maxbergmann.bsky.social and @cfr.org's @lianafix.bsky.social are breaking down the current state of German Rearmament and key takeaways from this week's #NATO Summit in Ankara. Tune in here: www.csis.org/events/eurof...

@maxbergmann.bsky.social and I were joined by @timkmak.bsky.social on the latest episode of #RussianRoulette. Reporting from Ukraine, Tim offered a behind-the-scenes look at the innovation driving Ukraine's civilian defense industry, and life in Kyiv today. w/@erep.csis.org

Ukraine's Dynamic Defense Sector: Combat Hubs, Air Defense, and Non-Stop Innovation | Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts

Investigative journalist Tim Mak, who has been stationed in Ukraine since 2022, joins Max and Maria for a discussion about life in Kyiv, the processes and challenges driving innovation in Ukraine’s dy...

csis.org

Armchair Analyst: What went right since Couva, what went wrong vs. Belgium & a look-ahead to the 2028 Copa América tacticsfreezone.ghost.io/what-went-wr...

A day later, it is really amazing how this farcical in game decision did not trigger Europe but the FIFA Balogun decision did. Quite revealing.

Conor Sen@conorsen.bsky.social · 4w ago

rigged

Trump: "Would you go to Moscow?" Zelensky: "It's difficult. There are a lot of Ukrainian drones there."

Marco Arturo's Epic Mic Drop

ALT: Marco Arturo's Epic Mic Drop

static.klipy.com