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EUROPE

Europe stands at a strategic and socio-economic crossroads. Russia’s protracted assault on Ukraine has put the post‐Cold War security order into question and sparked important debates about national defense and nuclear deterrence. Meanwhile, instability in the European neighborhood amplifies debates on strategic energy corridors, critical mineral partnerships, and food security buffers. Domestically, the rise of far‐right movements is testing the stability of liberal democracies. Within the European Union, rule‐of‐law disputes collide with calls for treaty reform ahead of any possible enlargement. At the same time, an ambitious industrial and climate transformation is under way, seeking to future-proof European economies and position Europe as a driver and beneficiary of innovation and digital transformation, even as ageing workforces, fiscal imbalance, and populist backlash expose structural fault lines. Fiker Institute’s Europe Program seeks to interrogate Europe’s position in the shifting global order and analyze regional and domestic dynamics that will shape the continent’s political, security, and economic trajectories. How are European states navigating international partnerships and calls for strategic autonomy in an increasingly multipolar world? How is Europe rethinking defense and security in light of the fracturing of the transatlantic alliance?
From the Arctic to the Gulf: The Contested Geopolitics of Chokepoints
Commentary

From the Arctic to the Gulf: The Contested Geopolitics of Chokepoints

Chokepoints have become an increasingly important topic in international affairs discourse. Edward Fishman wrote recently about financial and economic chokepoints and how oil pricing mechanisms, tanker fleets, and maritime insurance markets enable the United States (US) and other actors to target major petro-states like Russia and Iran. However, as recent events have demonstrated, shadow fleets […]

Klaus Dodds
A Decade of Brexit: Where Does the UK Stand Today?
Commentary

A Decade of Brexit: Where Does the UK Stand Today?

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s comment at the Labour Party conference that the United Kingdom (UK) should consider options when it comes to its European Union (EU) ties, including rejoining the group, has ignited a debate that will be hard to shut down. Why did he make such a comment, and what are the options […]

Anand Menon
The G7 Today: Anchor or Anachronism?
Explainers

The G7 Today: Anchor or Anachronism?

The Group of Seven (G7) still serves as the anchor of global governance, but there is increasing skepticism about its ability to sufficiently constrain the currents of today’s multipolar world. Despite these doubts, the G7 has increasingly served as the center of global governance since its annual summit first convened in 1975. Its most recent […]

John Kirton and Ella Kokotsis
Fractures and Alignments: Europe at the UN Security Council
Reports

Fractures and Alignments: Europe at the UN Security Council

Fiker Institute hosted Senior Fellow Shurouq Jaradat for a lecture on fragmentation in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The lecture explored how the war in Ukraine has intensified tensions among the United Nations Security Council Permanent Five (P5) and how shifts in US policy under President Trump, particularly regarding Russia and Ukraine, have reshaped dynamics among the P5 and ultimately affected coordination with European allies.

Shared Threats, Shared Responsibility: Europe & the Gulf
Commentary

Shared Threats, Shared Responsibility: Europe & the Gulf

Iran’s attacks against Gulf states, including threats to civilians and civilian infrastructure, must be condemned clearly and without hesitation. No country should have to  live under the shadow of missile and drone attacks targeting its sovereignty, its people, or the systems that sustain daily life. Estonia quickly and unequivocally condemned Iran’s inexcusable attacks. It stands in […]

HE Maria Belovas