Articles by: "Ana Palacio"
The EU’s year of fundamental choices

This year was always going to be important for the European Union, given the start of a new EU Commission mandate, a relatively new European Parliament and a change at the helm of the European …

China’s new social contract

Europe’s view of China has evolved rapidly in recent decades. What began as a broad lack of knowledge about the country gave way to curiosity about its history and culture. China’s economic rise further piqued …

Ukraine should have security guarantees

With Israel conducting a ground offensive in Lebanon, and Iran raining ballistic missiles on Israel, fears are rising that the conflict in the Middle East will soon spiral and draw in powers like the United …

The global implications of Iran’s election

The second round of Iran’s presidential election unfolded with little fanfare last weekend. But, with reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian defeating his hardline anti-Western opponent, Saeed Jalili, the world should be paying attention. At a time …

Putin’s latest stirring—in Asia and Europe

June has been a busy month for Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a speech at Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he outlined his terms for peace negotiations with Ukraine and proposed establishing an alternative international security system …

Why the EU’s new migration pact matters

Amid escalating geopolitical tensions, and with European Parliament elections looming, the narrow passage last month of the European Union’s Migrant and Asylum Pact has attracted relatively little attention. To be sure, the agreement is more remarkable …

Germany’s weakness is bad for Europe

Once the sick man of Europe, Germany seems to be under the weather once again. That might be putting it mildly: much as it did in the late 1990s, Germany is staring down the barrel …

The Good News from Taiwan

International media are brimming with pronouncements that the West is in decline. The institutions that have formed the foundation of the rules-based international order since World War II are on the brink of collapse, we …

The rule of law under fire

The past year was an eventful one, to put it mildly. In fact, the world has endured so much war, disruption, tension and uncertainty that we’re left to wonder whether the rules-based global order, which …

The case for energy realism at COP28

At the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, world leaders will, for the first time, officially take stock of global progress towards the goals set out in the Paris climate agreement in 2015. …