Notes

Openness versus helplessness: Europe’s 2015-2017 border crisis

Hugo Brady – now a senior advisor at the International Centre for Migration Policy Development in Vienna – was previously advisor and speechwriter to Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, from January 2015 to December 2019. He gives an insider perspective on the often bellicose debates between EU leaders during this period; analyses Europe’s crisis response; and explains how smaller states protected their interests.

What the EU can do in and with the Indo-Pacific

In this founding text, the HR/VP Josep Borrell delineates for the first time the broad lines of his doctrine on the Indo-Pacific. According to the head of European diplomacy, the Union must adopt a strategic approach to this region of the world, in terms of trade but also in terms of security.

Voting Methods in Regional French Elections: a Democratic Device that has Become Dangerous

The "mixed" electoral system used for French regional elections is an exception in Europe. Designed to respond to a crisis situation in the 2000s, it now seems outdated. François Hublet proposes in this paper to re-establish from 2027 onwards a proportional representation list system at the regional level, with a threshold of 5% or 10%.

Russian chairmanship of the Arctic Council: The Awakening of a Giant

The meeting held on May 20, 2021 marked the beginning of Russia's rotating chairmanship of the Arctic Council. There are several indications that the country intends to promote its interests in the region, while playing the card of multilateralism and cooperation with member countries.

Italy and Europe will rise or fall together

In this working paper, economist Andrea Capussela offers a critical perspective on the Italian recovery plan. In his view, the recovery must use another scale: Europe. In return, the Union must also rely on the peninsula. A bold approach, to be read in the continuity of the proposals of Jean Pisani-Ferry and Olivier Blanchard for France.

« We want to involve citizens to build the future of Europe », a Conversation with David Sassoli

Elected to the presidency of the Parliament on July 3, 2019, 10 years after his first election as an MEP, David Sassoli has faced in a year and a half of presidency a series of crises (migration, mistrust of citizens towards Europe, social movements, populism, health crisis, management of the Brexit...). The Grand Continent met him before the launch of the Conference on the Future of Europe. In this interview, the longest given to a magazine, he comes back on the current role of this institution, as well as on his vision to face the challenges of the European Union in the face of crises, inside and outside its borders.

A Contingent Economic Strategy for the Next Phase

The large-scale stimulus plan adopted by Congress at the initiative of the Biden administration and the increase in growth forecasts that quickly followed have given rise to a debate in France and in Europe: should we do the same? If not, are we in danger of stalling?

European foreign policy in times of Covid-19

A Conversation with High Representative for the EU Josep Borrell, Kishore Mahbubani, Adam Tooze, Nicoletta Pirozzi, Monika Sie Dhian Ho and Sven Biscop.

The European Commission as a Political Engine of European integration, in conversation with Martin Selmayr

In this conversation, Frédéric Mérand and Martin Selmayr discuss at length the experiences and practices of decision-making within the European Commission. The sociologist and the technocrat sketch a political portrait of this technical institution perceived as very opaque.

Laying the Groundwork for a Geopolitical Approach of Climate Change

In this working paper, with a preface by David Djaïz and Shahin Vallée, Camille Roussac outlines a new geopolitical doctrine of climate change.

Europe’s Geopolitical Awakening

Europe’s world has changed and, as a result, Europeans are now confronted with a two-fold question: where are we in space and where are we in time?

Defeating terrorism and saving art: fighting the same battle

The global art and antiques market today presents a series of risks: geopolitical, security, diplomatic, economic... In this working paper, introduced by a foreword by Pierre Buhler, Elie Cavigneaux proposes regulatory solutions on a global scale.

European Strategic Autonomy and the Biden Presidency

Some twenty international personalities from different backgrounds and sensibilities reflected on the impact of the Biden presidency on the future of European strategic autonomy.

China at the gates of the European power grid

In an increasingly digitalized industrial economy, power infrastructure becomes the target par excellence. As these networks go hand in hand with the European construction, they will be crucial for greater European solidarity in terms of energy.

Exclusive interview with Michael Mann, EU’s Ambassador at large for the Arctic/Special envoy for Arctic matters

In his longest and most critical interview, the European Union's Ambassador for the Arctic, Michael Mann, returned to the definition of European engagement in the region, in the context of broad consultations aimed at redefining the contours of the Union's Arctic policy.

European Strategic Autonomy in 2020

In the heat of 2020, in order to take stock and set the course, we asked some twenty world figures to answer the question: is the Union becoming more strategically autonomous?

Planting budgetary time bombs in Africa: the Macron Doctrine En Marche

Is the Macron doctrine in favor of a Euro-African axis really serious? According to two economists, the Paris consensus will extend the Wall Street consensus on the use of public-private partnerships in development assistance. This large-scale risk-neutralization strategy actually poses significant dangers to African states' budgets.

What European foreign policy in times of COVID-19?

In this new text, the longest written by the HRVP Josep Borrell in this period, we discover his understanding of all the major issues of the Covid-19 sequence - the Borrell doctrine.

Towards subsidiary crisis management

Our trilingual report with a foreword by Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn suggests "subsidiary crisis management", a novel approach inspired by the institutional response of Germany, Switzerland or Belgium during the crisis, as a way to make our crisis response more regionally flexible and citizen-centric.

In Conversation With Clément Beaune

In this long interview, the French Minister of State for European Affairs shared his idea of Europe with le Grand Continent.

The Macron Doctrine

As the year 2020 draws to a close, with crises accumulating in France and Europe, the French President, in one of his longest interviews, outlined the main elements of his new doctrine on international affairs with le Grand Continent.

Public debt and COVID-19. Paying for the crisis in Latin America and the Caribbean

The COVID-19 crisis has been an exceptional, unexpected and exogenous shock to countries across the region. Meanwhile, abundant liquidity remains in international capital markets, making this crisis different to past global crises. International coordinated action must contribute to solve debt sustainability problems and respond to the impact of the crisis.

A visa for the European dream

At a time when a historic recovery plan is being drafted, the EU Heads of State and Government are expressing a desire for solidarity-based reconstruction and economic and fiscal harmonisation. A common visa and tax credit for technological and scientific talents would give a concrete effect to this effort.

Seven ideas for a European Cultural Recovery Plan

For years, the only people who have been talking passionately about Europe are its enemies. If pro-Europeans want to be able to fight against their vision, the first thing to do is to step outside the established framework, even if it means risking controversy. An innovative policy paper by Giuliano Da Empoli.

Sustainable and innovative financing tools against epidemics

Heterogeneous data, knowledge and profiles that rarely meet must be brought together to give shape, during the crisis, to the world that will come after. Groupe d’études géopolitiques releases today, within the framework of the Covid-19 Geopolitical Observatory, its fifth working paper, signed by Pauline Deschryver, with a foreword by Guido Schmidt-Traub, Executive Director UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

EU crisis and reform : is differentiated integration the answer ?

The Covid-19 pandemic reinforces the crises of integration that the European Union has experienced in the past decade. The asymmetric Corona shock exacerbates the existing divides in economic performance and fiscal health between Northern and Southern European member states and puts new pressures on the cohesion of the Eurozone.

How to treat Africa’s Covid-contaminated debt ? An innovative proposal

The Covid-19 pandemic reveals and accentuates structural economic imbalances, including high indebtedness, for most African countries. Alleviating the debt burden for low-income African economies which nonetheless bear specific debts, is a puzzle that leads to the examination of diverse and probably complementary solutions.

The impact of Covid-19 on work : telemigration, relocation, environnement

What is the impact of Covid-19 on work ? This working paper published by Groupe d'études géopolitiques, gives an initial assessment of the possible widespread of teleworking, between telemigration, relocation and environmental impact.

Iran, the day after. For a new Iranian policy of the European Union

This note proposes a review of the Europeans’ Iranian policy and an aggiornamento of its ambitions in the light of the crucial deadlines ahead.

Coronavirus and energy, a sector challenged by geographical concentrations

The crisis initiated by the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has revived the well know chorus of the dangers of globalization and the interdependencies it induces.