Digital Sovereignty - The EU in a Contest for Influence and Leadership Background The concept of ‘digital sovereignty’ has become more prevalent over the last few years, although its meaning remains diffuse. Between Chinese techno-authoritarianism and the U.S. model of surveillance capitalism, Europe is heading towards a third way. By Zora Siebert
The Yemeni Revolution: Dignity Passed This Way Essay In the face of the terrible war and famine in Yemen, Bushra al-Maktari struggles to recall the hopeful beginnings of the revolution. Still, her spiritual retrospective zooms in on a concept that is also central to the Yemeni revolution: dignity. By Bushra al-Maktari
Where is Europe’s place in the new age of geo-economics? Analysis The world economy has become the central battleground for hegemonic rivalry between Washington and Beijing. Several factors have led to this development, first and foremost the economic rise of China. By Roderick Kefferpütz
A Permanent Temporariness Essay January 25th marks the beginning of the Egyptian revolution of 2011, which has been followed by a counter-revolution that continues to this day. More and more political and cultural actors end up in prison or flee into exile. As part of our series “Reminiscence of the future”, Alia Mossallam illuminates the inner spaces of the revolution, where fear and courage, kindness and monstrosity are inherently close to one another. By Alia Mossallam
Green hydrogen from Morocco – no magic bullet for Europe’s climate neutrality Analyse There are great hopes pinned to the Moroccan energy transition – not just in the North African kingdom itself, but also in Europe and Germany. By Bauke Baumann
Files from a Revolution Gone Rotten Essay Tunisia is often deemed the main success story of the “Arab Spring” after long-term dictator Ben Ali was ousted ten years ago. But in the first contribution of our series “Reminiscence of the future”, Rim Benrjeb writes about a revolutionary spirit that is in danger of falling asleep, patriarchal and state violence, and the impossibility of discussing all of this with one's own father. By Rim Benrjeb
How Common and Effective is the EU’s Common Foreign and Secuity Policy in the Eastern Mediterranean? Analysis The EU’s southern flank has been under immense security pressure by external actors recently. These security challenges require the EU to adopt a holistic approach and address a range of complex regional issues, making use of a wide range of tools. By Yvonni Efstathiou
Belarus Needs Help: Germany and Europe lack solidarity and strategy for a democratic Belarus Analysis The EU strives for strategic sovereignty and the capability to master global politics. The crisis in Belarus presents an opportunity for Brussels to contribute to stability in its eastern neighborhood. In order to support a democratic transfer of power in Minsk, however, the EU must enhance its engagement across five areas. By Dr. Jörg Forbrig
Europe as a Power: A French Vision for Europe in the World Analysis President Macron has been promoting the concept of European sovereignty and strategic autonomy for quite some time. His vision of a strategically autonomous Europe is based on the premise of profound geopolitical shifts and a new reality of big power rivalries. Still, Paris will have to convince skeptical EU Member States about the soundness of this concept. By Martin Quencez
Poland and the Baltic States: A Preference for a Renewed West Analysis The vision of a strategically autonomous Europe is not met with great enthusiasm in Poland and the Baltic states. On the contrary, the preferences between Warsaw, Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn point to a renewal of the transatlantic bond and a stronger NATO in order to contain the challenges represented by Russia and China. By Justyna Gotkowska