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Welcome to the online edition of the “European Business Review (EBR)”, where journalists and distinguished guest-writers express their views and opinions on European affairs and Business issues with in-depth articles, analyses and commentaries.
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In the field of security, there is a tension between the Commission and the member states. The Commission is seeking a more explicit EU role in defence, while most member states have a growing interest in European cooperation within the NATO framework, for example through a Joint Expeditionary Force with the UK.

The growing gap between the European Commission and the practice (read: member states)

The gap between the European Commission’s federal ambitions and actual policy practice in the EU is becoming increasingly visible.

Europe’s global decline leads policy experts to lean increasingly towards extreme solutions. Awareness that already in this century Europe has gone from level-pegging with the US to only two-thirds of its GDP has sparked calls for radical policies. Progressive europhiles thus join populist europhobes in their exasperation with the EU.

Unpalatable choices for an EU with shrinking options

Giles Merritt urges a rigorous re-think of Europe’s strengths and weaknesses to fuel debate on a streamlined EU suited to the new ‘Age of Disruption’.

Though some in Brussels argue that Trump’s rhetoric occasionally sounds sympathetic to Putin, his actions consistently undermine Russian and Chinese interests. Ultimately, Trump’s early 2026 agenda reveal a deeper reality: despite the noise, Europe and the US continue to share many of the same strategic objectives.

Trump’s Turbulent 2026: Why Europe Fears Him But Still Needs Him

From Greenland to Iran, Gaza and Venezuela, Trump’s start to 2026 may terrify Brussels — but behind the headlines, his aims echo Europe’s own strategic priorities.

The failure by the European Council on December 18, 2025, to make a decision on Russian state assets has been depicted as a setback. Looked at another way, however, European solidarity held up well.

Solidarity Is a Must for Europe to Ensure its Own Security

Europe is designing a new model of collective security that no longer relies on the United States. For this effort to succeed, solidarity between member states that have different threat perceptions is vital.

Brazil has spent decades cultivating a diplomatic identity built on dialogue, mediation, and strategic autonomy. It is one of the rare actors able to speak credibly with Washington and Beijing, with Brussels and Moscow, with democracies and non-democracies alike. This is not fence-sitting. It is bridge-building.

Why Brazil Has the Soft Power and Gravitas to Lead the Global South

In an increasingly fragmented world, leadership is no longer defined solely by military power, GDP size, or the ability to coerce. It is defined by credibility, cultural resonance, diplomatic legitimacy, and the capacity to convene without intimidating. By these standards, Brazil stands out as one of the few countries with the soft power and gravitas required to credibly lead the Global South.

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