International Relations

Too often, Europe's story gets told through crisis and decline. We pushed back. Our 'Facts over fatalism' social media campaign cut through the noise with hard numbers, inconvenient truths, and reasons to take Europe seriously on climate, defence, democracy, and the economy. Swipe through our different posts, share what hits, and keep the facts front and centre.

European security engagement in the Indo-Pacific has accelerated sharply, but remains deeply fragmented. A new dataset of 1,077 cooperation entries, covering EU institutions, all 27 Member States, the UK, Ukraine, and 49 Indo-Pacific partners, maps for the first time the full scope of Europe's presence in the region. The data reveals a de facto division of labour that Brussels has yet to organise into a coherent strategic offer. Jacob Mardell diagnoses the coordination deficit, and sets out how to fix it.

Global power shifts are changing international relations and the repercussions are felt around the globe. This web dossier by the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung explores these changes. The contributions discuss how non-major power actors respond, the prospects of (cross-)regional cooperation and a potential role for the European Union. Many of the articles build on discussions held by the “Expert Delegation on Global Power Shifts”, a week-long event that took place in Brussels in the early summer of 2025. It brought together academics and practitioners from the foundation’s global network, examining geopolitics, the new US administration, China and the role of the EU.

Europe’s defence map is being redrawn. Our new Böll EU Brief tracks over 160 defence partnerships signed since 2014 among EU countries, the UK and Ukraine – most of them after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Bilateralism boosts trust, interoperability and procurement speed, but also risks duplication and fragmentation. To turn this patchwork into strategy, the EU and NATO should map and integrate these deals into joint planning, strengthen the European Defence Agency’s role, and use bilaterals to offset declining US support.  

Subsea data cables are the digital lifelines of our modern world. Yet, external factors frequently expose vulnerabilities in the network and its supporting infrastructure. While around 150 cable faults occur globally each year, states suspect a growing number of cable faults to be linked to hybrid or malicious activity. Recognising that many states around the world face similar risks, the EU Action Plan on Cable Security proposes to establish “an advanced cable diplomacy”. But cable diplomacy is not a one-size-fits-all strategy. Technological sensitivities, dual-use aspects and geopolitical considerations demand a tailored approach. Where and how should the EU build effective cable diplomacy partnerships?

In this era of information overload and endless content streams, time is precious. That’s why we’re launching the Böll EU Brief—a format designed to cut through the noise and deliver clear, concise, and impactful analysis on pressing EU issues and emerging debates. Each brief is packed with sharp insights and key takeaways, presented in a format that takes just 10 minutes to read. We focus on what really matters: offering concise, thought-provoking content that informs opinions and sparks meaningful discussions. Written by experts, the Böll EU Brief complements our in-depth e-papers and publications with relevant and timely perspectives.

In a pivotal week for transatlantic trade relations, the new EU Böll Brief “Trading partners? Europe's options against Trump’s tariffs“ analyses the potential consequences of rising US tariffs on European trade and explores strategic responses available to the EU, highlighting the economic risks of a tariff war for each individual EU Member State and outlining alternative strategies for the EU to safeguard its economic interests.