Podcast Episode
Rosa Balfour, Sylvie Goulard, and Gerald Knaus debate the security benefits and political challenges of further EU enlargement.
Rosa Balfour, Gerald Knaus, Sylvie Goulard
Podcast Episode
Europe’s Place on the Global Chessboard
Rym Momtaz, Rosa Balfour, and Erik Jones debate whether the EU can act strategically and whether the transatlantic relationship is still its best bet.
Published on Sep 17, 2025
The EU-U.S. trade deal concluded in July and the EU-China summit held the same month highlighted Europe’s weakening position on the global chessboard.
Rym Momtaz, Rosa Balfour, and Erik Jones unpack why European leaders struggle to play power politics and explore what it will take for the EU to regain strategic agency.
Read more:
Rosa Balfour, April 30, 2025, “Europe Tried to Trump-Proof Itself. Now It’s Crafting a Plan B,” Emissary, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Rosa Balfour, March 25, 2025, “The Case for Europe,” Carnegie Europe.
Rosa Balfour, Sinan Ülgen, November 28, 2024, “Europe’s Fledgling Economic Statecraft and the Trump Challenge,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.
Rosa Balfour, Erik Jones, et al., November 19, 2024, “Geopolitics and Economic Statecraft in the European Union,” Carnegie Europe.
Erik Jones, July 17, 2025, “Betting on Europe,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.
Erik Jones, Gideon Rose, June 23, 2025, “Europe’s Two-Front War,” Foreign Affairs.
Erik Jones, November 6, 2024, “How Draghi and Letta May Help in Dealing With Trump,” Encompass.
Rym Momtaz et al., August 28, 2025, “Taking the Pulse: With Trump, Has Europe Capitulated?,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.
Rym Momtaz, August 26, 2025, “Europe’s Summer of Trump Delusion,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.
Rym Momtaz et al., July 24, 2025, “Taking the Pulse: Does the EU-China Summit Show a Weakened European Hand with Beijing?,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.
Rym Momtaz, July 15, 2025, “Europe’s Claim to Geopolitical Power Isn’t Passing the Trump Test,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.
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.
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