Commentary
France has stopped clinging to notions of being a great power and is embracing the middle power moment. But Emmanuel Macron has his work cut out if he is to secure his country’s global standing before his term in office ends.
Rym Momtaz
Research
When Sabotage Becomes Piracy: Rethinking the Legal Protection of Undersea Infrastructure
An exploration of whether deliberate attacks on undersea cables and pipelines could be classified as piracy under international law.
By Jacques Hartmann
Published on Feb 17, 2026
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Carnegie Europe
- Macron Makes France a Great Middle Power
- How Can Europe Renew a Stalled Enlargement Process?Commentary
Despite offering security benefits to candidates and the EU alike, the enlargement agenda appears stalled. Why is progress not being made, and is it time for Europe to rethink its approach?
Sylvie Goulard, Gerald Knaus
- To Survive, the EU Must SplitCommentary
Leaning into a multispeed Europe that includes the UK is the way Europeans don’t get relegated to suffering what they must, while the mighty United States and China do what they want.
Rym Momtaz
- Unpacking Trump’s National Security StrategyCommentary
Carnegie scholars examine the crucial elements of a document that’s radically different than its predecessors.
- +18
James M. Acton, Saskia Brechenmacher, Cecily Brewer, …
- Europe Faces the Gone-Rogue DoctrineCommentary
The hyper-personalized new version of global sphere-of-influence politics that Donald Trump wants will fail, as it did for Russia. In the meantime, Europe must still deal with a disruptive former ally determined to break the rules.
Thomas de Waal
