International Relations

The European Commission has published its pre-enlargement policy reviews on 6 October 2026, setting out how the EU should prepare for future enlargements. With gradual integration, possible safeguards in future accession treaties and reforms to the EU’s decision-making rules all under discussion, the reviews put the focus on both the path to membership and the changes needed within the EU itself. We discuss the latest proposals, key reforms and the upcoming European Council summit with MEP Thomas Waitz (Greens/EFA), Chair of the European Parliament's Delegation to the EU-Montenegro Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee.

Associate membership, UK return talk, gradual enlargement: integration in changing shape while the EU's political centre weakens. Read more in our latest newsletter.

Britain’s new prime minister has said that Brexit was a mistake and Britain should have a much closer relationship with the European Union. Ros Taylor looks at what that relationship could look like, and asks whether there is a chance the UK will rejoin the EU or the single market.

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.

While most analysis of Brazil's upcoming 4 October election focuses on whether Lula or Flávio Bolsonaro will lead the country, for the EU's climate agenda, however, this is only half the question. Congress is already willing to override the president on environmental law, and is likely to move further to the right. This could undermine the green promises of the EU-Mercosur agreement, regardless of who wins. Brussels should watch the National Congress, especially the Senate, as closely as the presidency.

On 4 October, Brazil will elect a new head of state. Our office director Regine Schönenberg analyses what is at stake globally and why neither Lula da Silva nor Flávio Bolsonaro would change the country’s entrenched power dynamics.

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. 

Two paradoxes stand out in relation to gender and Brazil’s 2026 elections. First, while women are central as voters, they remain markedly underrepresented in political institutions. Second, despite persistent gender-based violence and gender inequalities in Brazil, progressive forces struggle to expand their appeal among women, while the (far) right experiences growing support among segments of this decisive group. This analysis explores the two paradoxes and offers reflections on potential implications of the upcoming elections for both gender equality in Brazil and EU–Brazil relations.

Die internationale Ordnung ist im Umbruch. Russlands Angriffskrieg gegen die Ukraine stellt Europa vor historische Herausforderungen und wirft grundlegende Fragen auf nach Abschreckung, Verteidigungsfähigkeit und langfristiger Stabilität. Gleichzeitig erhöhen neue geopolitische Rivalitäten, wirtschaftliche Abhängigkeiten und globale Krisen den Druck auf die Europäische Union, strategisch handlungsfähiger zu werden. Insbesondere vor dem Hintergrund einer Neuausrichtung der US-amerikanischen Außenpolitik. Über diese Entwicklungen sprach am 22. September 2026 Robert Habeck, Vizekanzler und Bundesminister für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz a.D. (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) mit Helga Schmidt, Journalistin und ehemalige Leiterin des ARD-Studios in Brüssel (Hörfunk). Im Mittelpunkt standen dabei zentrale Fragen für die Zukunft Europas: Welche Rolle kann und sollte Europa in Zeiten wachsender geopolitischer Spannungen einnehmen? Wie kann die EU ihre Sicherheit, Interessen und Werte wirksam schützen, und mit welchen Partnern?

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.

Europe faces war, trade tensions, climate chaos and AI disruption all at once, with limited political bandwidth to match. This month's newsletter explores what real capacity to act requires: dynamic institutions, bold partnerships beyond full EU membership, political leadership amid fraying centrism, and the funding to back it all up.

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.

When the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan five years ago, the EU set out conditions for engagement, but the prospect of them being fulfilled is more remote than ever. Nevertheless, ties are growing closer.

Franziska Brantner and Joschka Fischer spoke about the state of the country, for the new Böll.Thema 1/26,. Brantner is Member of the Bundestag since 2013 and Co-Leader of the German green party Alliance 90/The Greens since 2024. Fischer was the first ever Green Vice-Chancellor (1998-2005).

The NATO Summit in Ankara took place against the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, growing pressure on European allies to strengthen their own defence capabilities, and continued uncertainty about the future of transatlantic burden-sharing. We spoke with MEP Mārtiņš Staķis about the Summit’s key outcomes, the roles of NATO and the EU in European security, and what new drone initiatives mean for Europe's defence.

Record heatwaves have swept across Europe this summer, and climate change no longer feels like a distant warning. It is part of daily life. Cutting emissions remains essential, but Europe will keep warming regardless. That means climate policy must also embrace adaptation: cooler cities, more green spaces, resilient buildings, and protection for those most exposed to extreme heat. Check out also our latest content and upcoming events.

The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union | Global Dialogue office in Brussels is welcoming applications for its traineeship programme, running from September 2026 to February 2027. The deadline for applications is Sunday 28 June 2026, 23:59 CEST.

The AI gold rush is rewriting the rules of energy, politics and society at once. Europe's answer so far has been a sovereignty debate. Our latest newsletter argues the bigger question is what kind of society AI will create.