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A new momentum grows for UK-France defense cooperation by Alice Billon-Galland and Elie Tenenbaum. Chatham House, February 14, 2023.
With a re-elected French president, a new British prime minister, a wider UK re-engagement with the continent after years of Brexit-induced tensions, and the context of the war in Ukraine, there is a new rationale and window of opportunity for a Franco-British rapprochement.

Biden’s ‘America First’ Economic Policy Threatens Rift with Europe by Edward Alden. Council on Foreign Relations, December 12, 2022.
After a nearly two-year honeymoon since the inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden, major rifts are opening up between Washington and its European allies over economic policy. Unless these rifts are handled deftly, the Biden administration’s vision of a new global economic order in which the United States works with allies and partners in Europe and Asia to contain Chinese and Russian ambitions could degenerate into a world of competing economic blocs.

How Europe Can Shape Changes in the World Economy by Gabriel Felbermayr and Guntram Wolff. Internationale Politik Quarterly, January 4, 2023.
The frenetic growth of world trade has been over for some time. Geopolitical risks are now leading to a new order. This by no means heralds a phase of deglobalization—which is empirically unlikely and would be costly economically. The European Union would do well, however, to ensure greater diversification.

Like it or not, Europe can only tackle its big challenges with the Franco-German consensus by Marie Jourdain and Jörn Fleck. Atlantic Council, January 20, 2023.
On January 22, France and Germany will celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the Elysée Treaty, which sealed reconciliation between the long-time adversaries. It’s an auspicious day to hold the annual Franco-German Council of Ministers, which convenes after months of strife and slights—perceived or real—between Berlin and Paris over the big challenges facing Europe and the cooperation needed to tackle them.

Why European Democracies Are More Resilient Than Expected by Liana Fix. Council on Foreign Relations, January 5, 2023.
As winter neared, many observers were concerned about the resilience of European democracies during Russia’s war against Ukraine. The triple pressures of economic downturn and inflation, energy crisis, and millions of Ukrainian refugees seemed to provide fertile ground for populists and a faltering of European support for Ukraine. In reality, that scenario has not materialized. Europe is more resilient than expected.

Zeitenwende one year on by Bastian Giegerich and Ben Schreer. International Institute for Strategic Studies, February 27, 2023.
Progress on achieving German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s vision for a Zeitenwende (turning point) in German policy has been mixed. Steps have been taken to reduce Germany’s dependence on Russian energy, but Berlin’s interpretation of the situation in Ukraine and its implications for Europe still diverges from that of many allies, and efforts to reform Germany’s defense policies have been lacking.