European Union
Europe’s divisions over China could hamper G-7 unity
While the focus of the G-7 meeting in Hiroshima this week will be on Russia, the gathering leaders will have China on their minds. But could differences in Europe over how best to…
Taiwan: Far from lost in translation, Macron said exactly what he meant
Returning from a trip to Beijing, President Emmanuel Macron gave an interview this week to journalists from Politico and French newspaper Les Echos. His words, especially when…
Europe: Crossing the East-West divide
Something is afoot in Europe. Last week, a group of European states lost patience with Berlin as the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz strained transatlantic relations with his…
Crossing the carbon border
In 2023, climate rules in international trade become real.
With the introduction of the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), trade rules based on the…
Europe must fully embrace nuclear energy
Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine stripped away many naive assumptions. War in Europe is not a thing of the past. Greater economic integration will not deter a madman. And…
Make or break: Scholz’ Beijing business
On Friday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will become one of the first global leaders to visit China since Xi Jinping emerged more powerful than ever from the 20th Communist Party…
EU in the driver’s seat on Indo-Pacific trade deals
Australia’s long-running free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with the European Union seem to be emerging from the hiatus they were plunged into by the Morrison government’s…
A new solidarity? Olaf Scholz on the future of Europe
The German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt once quipped that, in politics, “whoever has visions should go to the doctor”. Big-thinking and inspiring rhetoric do not marry easily with…
Six months of war in Ukraine: Europe’s life and fate
For the political analyst, it is often difficult to identify whether the decisions made by powerful actors are borne of a sense of strength or out of weakness. In this respect,…
Ukraine: The view from Warsaw
This week I was in Warsaw listening to experts on regional strategy and security. It was clear that Poland sees itself as Ukraine’s champion. Beyond the immediate emergency…