How Governments Are Using Tourism to Sanitise Their Image
From the pyramids of Giza to World Cup stadiums, international tourism has become one of the most effective, and subtle, forms of political image management.
The Race to the Moon Is Back On, And Europe Is Helping Us Get There
America is heading back to the Moon, but Europe is helping build the infrastructure that will sustain our presence there as Washington and Beijing compete over the lunar South Pole.
Horizon Europe’s Scientific Answer to a Bipolar World
It is hard to overstate the innovative capacity of the US and China. To compete on equal footing, the EU must leverage its strategic edge: the collaborative nature of its own flagship R&I programme, now the largest research coalition in the world.
Securing Arctic Connectivity Amid Great Power Competition
The European Union needs to define an Arctic Strategy that takes into account both EU digital sovereignty and security issues in the region.
The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement: The Implications for Europe’s Energy Security
The new agreement between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey exposes Europe to hidden Gulf energy shocks, making true economic resilience a vital priority.
The EU Cannot Win Its Eastern Neighbourhood Through Normative Power Alone
The EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood is being contested by actors who move faster, ask less, and deliver sooner, yet its policy strategy remains calibrated to a less competitive environment.
Europe’s Opening in Africa’s Finance Race with China Lies in Local Value Creation
As Europe and China converge on de-risking private capital in development finance, the real contest is shifting from mobilising finance to turning it into value-chain offers built around African priorities.
The EU in the Indo-Pacific: A Geopolitical Actor in Trade, a Bystander in Security
The European Union’s strong economic and regulatory influence in the Indo-Pacific is undermined by its lack of credible military power, leaving its geopolitical ambitions half-fulfilled.
Beyond Cheap Talk? The EU’s Fragmented Turn to Indo-Pacific Security
In 2025 the EU committed to more in Indo-Pacific security than ever before. It is not clear it has the means to follow through.
Europe’s Search for Strategic Autonomy in Space
Waves of new-generation satellites and launchers continue to be built by Europe, but institutional fragmentation still stands between it and genuine strategic autonomy.
Forgotten Civil War: What Are the EU’s Interests in Myanmar?
While headlines centre around conflicts in Iran, Palestine, Ukraine and Sudan, an ongoing conflict in Southeast Asia that has claimed over 100,000 lives persists with little coverage.
The EU Is Ceding Influence and Running Out of Time in the South Caucasus
How can the EU project real influence in a region where China, Russia, and Turkey move faster? Can Brussels balance its need for Azerbaijani gas with its own democratic principles? And what will it take for Europe to secure Armenia’s pivot to the West while preventing Georgia’s descent into authoritarian isolation?
