Cover image: picture alliance / ASSOCIATED PRESS | Markus Schreiber Less than two months ahead of the European Parliament election, Germany’s centrist parties are having an identity crisis. Mobilisation is particularly strong among likely Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Green voters – 71 per cent and 85 per cent of their supporters respectively intend to vote in the upcoming election. In contrast, the mobilisation efforts of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU) coalition and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) appear comparatively weak, at 64 per cent and 5 ..read more

Workers load lithium concentrate at Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe mine in Goromonzi, Zimbabwe, January 9, 2024. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo | picture alliance / REUTERS | PHILIMON BULAWAYOSummary Europeans are searching for secure sources of critical raw materials as global supply chains become increasingly contested. Some African governments wish to obtain greater benefit from this growing demand and are restricting the export of raw materials to force local value-addition, such as in-country processing and manufacturing. The EU should take a clearer stance on which aspects of the critical raw mat ..read more

In September 2024, the United Nation’s Summit of the Future is set to take place – a crucial moment to mend “eroded trust” between peoples, countries, and generations. Europe’s role on the world stage is constantly adapting to the fluidity of the global geopolitical space. Traditional views of multilateralism are being rethought, and Europe is exploring its role in fostering meaningful international cooperation on many global issues.   In this final episode of Europe Listens, ECFR’s Rafael Loss and Jana Puglierin welcome Richard Gowan, UN director at the International Crisis Group an ..read more

Cover image: picture alliance / ASSOCIATED PRESS | Harry Nakos After a power-sharing agreement collapsed last month, Bulgaria has once again been thrown into political uncertainty. The country has appointed a new caretaker government, to be led by prime minister Dimitar Glavchev and snap elections were called for 9 June – the same day as the European Parliament election – making it the sixth time Bulgarians will head to the polls in just three years. The last five times resulted in a hung parliament, allowing the president, Rumen Radev, to wield a significant amount of power by appointing care ..read more

Cover image: picture alliance / ASSOCIATED PRESS | Evelyn HocksteinSummary The war in Gaza and its fallout have stalled plans for the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor, or IMEC. But this grand US-led connectivity project to link the EU and India via the Gulf can still happen – and it can serve the geopolitical goals of all its participants. With IMEC, the US and the EU aim to draw India closer and counter Chinese influence. The corridor would provide a boost to India’s strategy to escape encirclement by Beijing and become a leader among developing countries. The UAE and Saudi Arabia ..read more

As the world awaits Israel’s response to Iran’s Saturday attack, the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza persists and the territory remains on the brink of famine. While Israel’s attention is momentarily diverted towards Iran and its proxies, prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu insists he is still planning an offensive on Rafah, discussions around a ceasefire and hostage exchange remain in deadlock, and a possible two state-solution recedes further into the distance.   In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard welcomes senior policy fellow Hugh Lovatt and chief of programmes and communications ..read more

452138248 | picture alliance / REUTERS | Julia Nikhinson The March 2024 terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall, a popular concert venue, near Moscow came as a shock to most people. Certainly, the Russian authorities seemed surprised and unprepared for the four gunmen who killed over 140 people. No extra security measures seem to have been in place. The response to the attack seemed reactive to say the least. The Russian security services tortured the alleged perpetrators live on camera and government figures scrambled to blame others, variously claiming that the attackers were backed by or fleei ..read more

Cover image: picture alliance / AA | Indian Press Information Bureau / Handout The European Union’s relationship with India has long been high on promise, short on delivery. Speaking in 2022 in New Delhi, European Commission president Ursula von Der Leyen hailed a partnership “at the nexus of trade, trusted technology, and security”. Yet as the European Parliament recently noted, the EU-India bilateral relationship has “not yet reached its full potential”. Source ..read more

Cover image: picture alliance / ZUMAPRESS.com | Iranian PresidencySummary The war in Gaza has deepened the Middle East’s fault lines. Iran and its proxies and the US and Israel have engaged in a cycle of tit-for-tat attacks across the region, with the Israeli bombing of the Iranian consulate in Syria and Iran’s direct retaliation against Israel threatening to escalate into a regional war. Iraqi paramilitaries operating as part of Iran’s ‘axis of resistance’ have also attacked US forces in Iraq, who responded with reprisals of their own. This, and the increasing risk of a wider war, imperils t ..read more

On Saturday evening, Iran launched a major attack on Israeli territory, with a combination of 300 drones and missiles. Israel’s air defense seems to have intercepted most of these and the airspace over Israel and Jordan has since been reopened. In this special episode, Mark Leonard welcomes Julien Barnes-Dacey, director of ECFR’s Middle East and North Africa programme, and Hamidreza Azizi… Source ..read more