Europe Programme

As Friedrich Merz becomes German chancellor, Emmanuel Macron may finally have found the partner he needs for France and Germany to reshape European leadership.

Trump’s trade war has brought Norway even closer to the EU and increased the urgency for it to make a decision about membership.

As the EU publishes a new white paper on reforming defence, there are clear priorities to make Europe a stand-alone military power.

Washington wants to secure Ukraine’s valuable raw materials in a headline-grabbing deal, but a joint partnership with the EU and Kyiv is mutually beneficial in the long term.

The former Netherlands defence minister says that Donald Trump’s actions are raising doubts about the US commitment to NATO – in response, Europe must turn its plans to release an extra €800 billion for defence spending into swift action.

In a whirlwind start, the new US president has shaken America’s executive branch, European security, the liberal international order and global economics. Chatham House experts analyse the impact – and what comes next.

Despite significant gains for the far right, the election may just result in a German government able to take on a leadership role in Europe.

With Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) on the rise, frontrunner Friedrich Merz’s attempts to outflank the far right on migration are ignoring the real solutions to Germany’s problems.

President Trump refuses to commit the US to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty. Europe must agree how to fill the vacuum to have a hope of influencing negotiations with Putin.

The UK must be allowed to contribute to building a European – not EU – defence industrial base to ensure Europe is less reliant on the US for its defence.

Macron and the Socialist Party may hold the key to a way forward but continuing instability could impact the European Union and Ukraine.

The coalition could not agree how to fund new support for Ukraine and failed to fully implement the ‘Zeitenwende’. A new government must push through reform.

With Trump in the White House, a key challenge for Europe will be the growing transatlantic illiberal ties which risk undermining European unity.

An internship at Chatham House offers an invaluable learning experience through a six-month placement in one of our teams.

Focusing on three fundamental priorities to help safeguard European security will put NATO in a better position to tackle the many other challenges it faces.

Stark recommendations in the report risk being thwarted by a European leadership vacuum – and a lacking sense of urgency.

Reconciling its transatlantic approach with EU defence initiatives could make Poland a leader on European defence.

Chatham House’s Europe programme hosted representatives from the European Political Community in June, in advance of July’s summit.

The summit is not only a chance for the new UK government to build relationships with European leaders, but a key opportunity for European countries to make progress on shared political and security challenges.

Less than two weeks into Hungary’s EU Council presidency, Viktor Orbán has clearly shown he will not play by the rules. The EU must come up with a response.

The far right RN may have failed to take power, but France’s political institutions, its place in the world, its financial position and its fragmented society will all be affected by a hung parliament.

As the EU seeks to diversify its energy supply, Russian ‘gas-laundering’ could undermine its foreign policy objectives.

Far right parties’ vote share did not increase on the scale some expected. But in the long-term, their ideas may affect EU policy on migration, environment, security and enlargement.

If his party is severely defeated at the European elections in June, the French president will find it harder than before to shape the EU’s agenda.

Centrists like Mette Frederiksen are talking tough on migration. But adopting right-wing policy may make it harder to manage the issue.

Paper argues US and Europe need to think about the ‘endgame’ for their respective China policies.

The European Union is using an old tool for a new purpose as it looks to its defence

Hungary’s Viktor Orban bows to EU pressure and agrees to a €50 billion support package for Ukraine, but this may not be enough to move the needle in the war.

As Russia continues to weaponize migrants to undermine EU unity on Ukraine, the EU can learn important lessons from Finland.

The latest episode of our weekly podcast looks ahead to the flashpoints and elections next year.

Europe and the US recognize that their policies and strategies on the Indo-Pacific need to be more coherent. Existing structures such as the G7 and the Quad could become key forums for enhanced cooperation.

How increasing economic and political inequality and the ‘depoliticization’ of economic policymaking, through technocratic management insulated from national-level parliamentary scrutiny, have contributed to the crisis of democracy in Europe.

The rise of China is one of the greatest challenges for the transatlantic relationship. Despite similar concerns, fundamental differences could prevent a joined-up European and US approach.

Efforts to understand the rise of populist parties and movements in Europe need to take into account the diverse contexts in which anti-establishment protest has flourished.

This paper takes a closer look at the EU’s approach to China and how this may change as US–China tensions intensify.

Important political shifts in 2021 could bring greater clarity on Germany’s changing China policy, no matter who succeeds Angela Merkel as chancellor, writes Noah Barkin.

The post-Brexit context makes the E3 more difficult as a format for cooperation between France, Germany and the UK. The three countries are more likely to be able to develop a shared strategic agenda by identifying specific problems which they need to solve together.

This paper explores European populist movements and their impact on the liberal international order.

A proposed blueprint for Britain’s future foreign policy argues that the country can remain internationally influential post-Brexit by acting as the broker of solutions to global challenges.

How can coordination be improved to address competing policy priorities and migration pressures?

This paper explores the origins of the E3 format of diplomatic coordination between France, Germany and the UK, and its possible future development.

The COVID-19 crisis could lead to a wider rethink of Europe’s political economy. This paper explores what such a model might look like, and what it would mean for the governance of the European Union.

To the extent that perceptions of a crisis in liberal democracy in Europe can be confirmed, this paper investigates the nature of the problem and its causes.

This briefing argues that China’s rise has worrying implications for the liberal order and explores how this will affect the transatlantic relationship.

Brexit, for better or worse, means a major structural change in how people in the UK think about the food they eat. There is an opportunity to reformulate food policy for the better, but this could be easily squandered if not managed carefully.

Turkey’s experience shows the challenges facing a non-member state in a formal customs arrangement with the EU. Post-Brexit Britain should seek a more intimate arrangement with the EU.

The argument that Britain needs to leave the European Union to reclaim its sovereignty is misguided says new paper, Britain, the EU and the Sovereignty Myth.