This IISS online analysis argues that resilient supply chains are no longer a technical or efficiency issue – they are the foundation of economic and national security. Pandemics, wars and export controls have exposed Europe’s vulnerabilities in global value chains, turning cost-focused systems into strategic liabilities. The debate is now about how much resilience is enough, and whether Europe can build it at the speed and scale the world’s geopolitical pressures demand.

This CapX commentary delivers a stark warning for the UK and Europe at large: British leaders may sound upbeat about the post-Brexit economy and immigration stance, but beneath the rhetoric lie real social and economic vulnerabilities. Political bravado and celebratory headlines mask structural problems like stagnant productivity, labour shortages, cost-of-living pressures and a fractured migration debate.

In January 2026, the German Council on Foreign Relations (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik, DGAP) published an analytical report entitled Venezuela, Oil, and US Energy Dominance: Implications for German Policy. The document is a geopolitical review of the plans of Trump’s administration, used as a tool for justifying the climate agenda.

This IISS strategic commentary exposes a core vulnerability at the heart of Europe’s industrial and technological ambitions. As the EU pushes clean tech, defence production and digital infrastructure, it remains heavily dependent on China for critical minerals and processing capacity. Despite loud talk of “de-risking”, Europe still relies on Chinese-controlled supply chains that can be tightened or weaponised at any moment.

This CIDOB analysis questions whether the EU has lost its sense of direction by trying to balance big external ambitions with slow internal reform. Europe talks about strategic autonomy, competitiveness and global influence, but its internal economic, regulatory and institutional weaknesses make these ambitions hard to realise. The text suggests a growing mismatch: the EU wants to shape the world, but it cannot fix the fundamentals at home. If this gap persists, Europe’s global role will weaken and its economy will stagnate.

This Institut Montaigne commentary takes an outsider’s lens to how the EU handles migration – and the picture is not flattering. Rather than projecting an image of coordinated humanitarian leadership, Europe often appears reactive, fragmented and internally conflicted. The piece suggests that from abroad, Brussels looks indecisive: legal pathways are limited, border policies seem contradictory, and political divisions undermine coherence. For the EU’s global standing and internal stability, that lack of clarity and control is a growing problem.

This Institut Montaigne analysis warns that Europe’s clean-tech ambitions rest on a fragile foundation. While the EU pushes ahead with decarbonisation, much of the technology powering the green transition remains dominated by Chinese firms and value chains. Batteries, solar panels and other core components are still produced at scale in China, while European companies face barriers abroad. The risk is stark: Europe may end up financing a green transition it does not control.

This Internationale Politik commentary warns that French politics is entering a dangerous new phase with consequences far beyond Paris. Meetings between American conservative networks and French right-wing actors are not symbolic gestures – they signal a deeper transatlantic alignment aimed at reshaping Europe’s political balance. As France moves toward the 2027 presidential election, these links threaten to weaken centrist power, sharpen internal EU divisions, and inject US-style culture-war politics into the heart of Europe.

Central Asia suffers from the lack of water and deglaciation but at the same time it is sitting on the largest reserves of rare earth metals, a vital resource for the “green transition” and the defence industry of the West. Andrew D’Anieri from Atlantic Council suggests mining critical minerals and spending the profit on modernizing irrigation and the precipitation enhancement technology.

In January 2026, the Carnegie Endowment published a report entitled Artificial Intelligence and Democracy: Mapping the Intersections. Amid the fall of global democracy indices, Rachel George and Ian Klaus strive to demonstrate how AI threatens Western democracies but opens up new opportunities for them.

This ECFR commentary argues that the dramatic US military capture of Venezuela’s president under a revived Monroe-style foreign policy forces Europe into a set of hard political dilemmas. Washington’s intervention isn’t only about Latin America – it signals a shift toward a more interventionist and unpredictable US posture that leaves European capitals scrambling for answers.

This EUISS commentary exposes a tangled frontline where Russia’s hybrid energy tactics are still inflicting damage on Europe and Ukraine. Moscow has weaponised misinformation, market manipulation and geopolitical pressure to undermine European unity, hit public confidence and delay hard decisions on energy security.

This CIDOB publication looks at the future of EU defence and its armed forces – and the picture is not comforting. Europe talks about “strategic autonomy” and a stronger military role, but its real capabilities remain limited and fragmented. Member states still treat defence as national territory, budgets are uneven, and Europe’s armed forces are not built for rapid, large-scale action. The message is clear: Europe wants to look like a security power, but it is still struggling to act like one.