The obvious and often painful mismatch between aspiration and reality in European foreign policy has plagued discourse on European integration during the last decade. Today, the simple truth is that the Lisbon institutions have brought more ambiguity than clarity about Europe’s capacity and role in the world.

In the fall of 2011, Carnegie Europe asked a select group of policymakers, diplomats, academics, think tank experts, and journalists to contribute concise and timely interpretations about what a truly strategic Europe would look like.

The resulting volume looks to reinvigorate the debate about Europe’s global impact with new perspectives, fresh impulses, and thought-provoking ideas on how  Europe can better position itself as a strategic player on the world stage.