Foreign policy

The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union | Global Dialogue office in Brussels is commissioning a comparative policy paper on competing visions of global order and the role(s) of the EU. Applications should be submitted by Wednesday 21 October 2026, noon CEST.

What von der Leyen’s State of the Union says about the state of EU foreign and security policy.

Itamaraty, Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is believed to be one of the most professional diplomatic bodies within Latin America, especially significant considering its relative autonomy from the executive. Nevertheless, the next Brazilian presidential elections could have a dramatic effect on its diplomacy and foreign policy. In recent years, Brazil has embraced multipolarity, but a conservative president could easily transform the international projection of this South American giant. 

South Korea faces growing vulnerability as US resolve wavers across Asia and Europe alike, most starkly on the volatile Korean Peninsula. After June 2026 EU-South Korea summit's pledge to deepen their strategic partnership, it's time for both sides to act, turning shared commitment into concrete steps that strengthen mutual security.

The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union | Global Dialogue office in Brussels is commissioning a policy paper studying past EU foresight reports. Applications should be submitted by Thursday 1 October 2026, EOB.

Iceland has voted against reopening EU accession negotiations on 29 August 2026. Kikka Sigurðardóttir, Leader of the Icelandic Greens Græningjar, explains what really drove the 52.8% referendum result: fishing rights, rural identity, and a simple lack of urgency. She also looks at what deepening ties with Brussels could still mean for Iceland, and how the country should position itself as the US grows less predictable and Arctic tensions rise.

New geopolitical realities also call for new strategies for tech sovereignty: The EU’s digital strategy links its own competitiveness and autonomy with new international partnerships.

Did Africa’s first G20 presidency deliver on its promise of solidarity, equality and sustainability? Our Head of Programme for EU and International Politics, Dr. Katharina Emschermann, spoke with Paula Assubuji, Director of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung's office in Cape Town, about what the Johannesburg G20 and the AU-EU summit in Luanda reveal about power, inequality and the state of multilateral cooperation.

Europe once set the standards the world followed. Today, others are pushing back, challenging the EU’s regulatory power and exposing its reluctance to act strategically. Our Böll EU Newsletter 11/2025 examines Europe’s shifting role in global power politics, the rise of the green euro, new debates on security and offensive capabilities, fresh insights on the MFF, and our latest work on citizen participation in the EU energy transition.

Europe’s defence landscape is shifting fast. Our new Böll EU Brief maps more than 160 defence agreements among EU countries, the UK and Ukraine – most signed since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It shows how bilateral cooperation boosts trust and speed, but also risks fragmentation without an EU-level strategy.

In an increasingly fragmented world, it is time to rethink peace and security – and to reclaim them from a progressive, green perspective. How can these notions be re-anchored in democratic freedom, dignity, and human rights – rather than surrendered to authoritarian reinterpretation? These questions will be explored at the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung's Annual Foreign Policy Conference.

Our deterrence can only be backed by real numbers. How many weapons we have, how large is our army, wider military, and personnel numbers, and so on. That is why we need to move now with our implementation as quickly as possible. An interview with Andrius Kubilius, the European Union’s Commissioner for Defence and Space. 

The European Union is not merely facing a series of overlapping crises, but the simultaneous unravelling of the geopolitical, economic, and democratic orders that have long underpinned its stability and global role. This moment of systemic disruption poses a stark question: can Europe move from being an object of global shifts to becoming a subject that actively shapes the emerging world order?

Donald Trump is back in the White House and with him, a foreign policy that openly questions the sovereignty of allies, undermines democratic values, challenges European security commitments, and disrupts established trade relations. The European Union now faces a stark reality: The United States, once the guarantor of Europe’s security, prosperity, and democracy, has become its saboteur. How should the EU respond to this shifting landscape? Roderick Kefferpütz interviews Green MEP Sergey Lagodinsky.

The withdrawal of the US from Europe's defence is taking shape. The EU is now mobilising money for defence, but remains paralysed. It is time to break new ground, says MEP Sergey Lagodinsky.

After years of hesitation, the EU – driven by geopolitical shifts – is finally moving forward. The special summit in Brussels shows momentum in defence policy. But Europe remains vulnerable without a big step forward.

It's not just about money. We can be the innovative and cultural magnet of the world. That is the strength of democratic and open societies.

As the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine grinds into its third year, Ukraine is in desperate need of experienced troops. Western military training, like that seen in Poland, could be the answer. Western officers say their high-quality training, which emphasizes initiative, is a key advantage that their armies have over Russia.

Poland takes on the EU Council Presidency in January 2025. What does this role mean, and what challenges lie ahead? Our latest article explores the key context and what to expect during this pivotal six-month period.

The victory of Donald Trump in the 2024 US elections will undoubtedly have consequences in transatlantic relations, from foreign and security policy to green transition and competitiveness. We asked 3 questions on the consequences of Trump 2.0 for Europe to German Green MEP Sergey Lagodinsky, who is a member of the EP Delegation for relations with the United States.