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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 17h

The European Council begins tomorrow, with the MFF, defence cooperation and energy all on the agenda. The EU's geopolitical ambitions depend on its ability to turn political will into concrete capabilities: will national leaders rise to the moment? Our Fellows give their take on what's needed. ⤵️

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

After a scorching summer, is Europe ready for a difficult winter? Wildfires, heatwaves and strained energy systems exposed Europe’s growing climate vulnerability. Thijs Van de Graaf examines the lessons for energy security, resilience and the transition ahead. 🔗 Read it here: shorturl.at/i1hcg

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

SOTEU underscored a tension: the EU speaks of security in global terms, yet economic cooperation behind the scenes remains tied to membership. The distinction has tangible consequences - not least for partners like the UK, writes @anandmenon.bsky.social ➡️🔗 shorturl.at/4seJU @ukandeu.bsky.social

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

📖 The next edition of the BIG Review is almost here. Here’s a first look ⤵️ Curious? Sign up to our free mailing list to receive each BIG Review – along with our flagship geopolitical analysis and priority event invitations – directly to your inbox. 🔗 Read it first: big-europe.eu/subscribe

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

🔮 Europe’s greatest threats are often visible before they arrive. In her latest BIG essay, Veronica Anghel examines what strategic foresight can reveal - and how European total defence can prepare for threats arriving all at once. 🔗 shorturl.at/akrQi

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

🍁 Canada's PM is set to make a bold pitch to the EU this week. But Carney also has vital lessons to offer on making 'strategic autonomy' a reality. In strange times, BIG’s Martin Leng argues that Ottawa is not simply an obvious partner for Europe, but an example to follow. ⤵️ 🔗 shorturl.at/nTrGv

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Reposted by Brussels Institute for Geopolitics

James Kanter @jameskanter.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Covering Carney? This essay provides excellent context and very thoughtful EU framing, e.g. "While European governments squabble over the precise parameters of how to ‘Buy European’, Canada is simply doing it." @bigeurope.bsky.social big-europe.eu/publications...

big-europe.eu

Carney’s ‘Rupture’ is an urgent lesson for Europe

Ominous parallels between the 1930s and our present moment have become almost a cliché – even as Germany’s far-right celebrates an historic regional election win in Saxony-Anhalt. Yet there is no...

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

☢️ Europe’s nuclear debate is entering a new phase. In a new BIG essay, Lukas Schmelter examines Europe's nuclear question - from its Cold War origins to Macron's recent attempt to give French deterrence a more explicit European dimension. Read it here ⬇️ 🔗 shorturl.at/Dk4o5

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

🚨 Today Saxony-Anhalt, tomorrow Brussels? BIG's new paper by Research Fellow Thomas Laffitte imagines two policy scenarios for an EU dominated by the populist right - an exercise in strategic foresight which just became even more urgent. Read it here ⬇️ 🔗 shorturl.at/EVsGR

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

🌍 Geopolitics is back – and Europe needs bold strategic vision to navigate the chaos. We're working to build it. 🔗 Discover our team and our work ⤵️ www.big-europe.eu

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

📅 What is the future of nuclear deterrence in Europe? Join our webinar on Tuesday 22 September with Jim Stokes, Mariana Budjeryn and Łukasz Kulesa to discuss Europe’s nuclear future, US extended deterrence, NATO cohesion and arms control. 🔗 shorturl.at/EshWk

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

An EU run by Eurosceptics? It's a scenario which edges ever closer. 🗓️ Join BIG on 17 Sep as we explore what it could mean for Europe's global influence and moral leadership, together with fmr. French Ambassadors Pierre Vimont and Claude-France Arnould. 🔗 Info and sign-up: shorturl.at/nPz8n

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

🌏 From the BIG archive: The EU and US–China Rivalry Frans-Paul van der Putten argues that Europe must clarify its position before a future escalation forces another reactive response - and anchor its China policy in long-term interests. 🔗 shorturl.at/xRVQR

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

👁️ From the BIG archive: Strategic Foresight in the EU Kate O’Riordan and Eliott de Smedt Day explore how foresight can help Europe move beyond reactive policymaking - and why uncomfortable scenarios are essential to preparedness. 🔗 shorturl.at/p4SdW

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

🌐 From the BIG archive: Geopolitics in the Boardroom Thomas Laffitte explores how companies are adapting as geopolitical risk moves to the core of business - from dedicated teams to analysis embedded across strategy and decision-making. 🔗 shorturl.at/v5KhM

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

🧭 From the BIG archive: The Deeper Rupture Jonathan Hill argues that, amid systemic upheaval and growing powerlessness, Europe can offer more than institutions: a political principle rooted in reconciliation, unity and collective action. 🔗 shorturl.at/18U99

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

🕰️ From the BIG archive: Gas, God and Grifters Martin Leng argues that Europe’s normalcy bias has become a strategic liability. As the old rulebook crumbles, Europe must recognise disorder as a structural condition - and prepare for its consequences. 🔗 shorturl.at/xfbDt

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

🧩 From the BIG archive: The Union’s Strategic Culture at Times of War Kate O’Riordan explores how Europe’s strategic cultures are adapting to war, shifting threats and blurred lines between peace and conflict - and why their differences may become a strategic asset. 🔗 shorturl.at/fpNwf

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

📚 From the BIG archive: Europe’s Intellectual Foundations Joshua Livestro revisits Europe’s geopolitical tradition and argues for a more resilient narrative of the Union - one rooted in strategic necessity, historical experience and the capacity to act independently. 🔗 shorturl.at/j8KCp

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

🧭 From the BIG archive: Finding Europe’s Historical Footing As history accelerates, Europe must move beyond reactive politics. Luuk van Middelaar argues that it should revisit 1989, recover its agency, and rearm both militarily and intellectually. 🔗 shorturl.at/0RRxM

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

🧭 From the BIG archive: Why Geopolitics? Europe can no longer treat geopolitics as a distant discipline. Luuk van Middelaar asks how it can recover a sense of power, place and history - and navigate a new era of great-power politics without losing its principles. 🔗 shorturl.at/xGEkO

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Pack geopolitics in your suitcase this summer. ☀️🌍📚 As Brussels slows down for the summer break, our team has put together a vacation reading list for those looking to carry big ideas beyond the office and into the quieter weeks ahead. 🔗 shorturl.at/uQMHH

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

📖 The summer edition of the BIG Review is almost here. Ivan Krastev unpacks the Cold War’s seismic swansong in conversation with Luuk van Middelaar, BIG maps the global semiconductor supply chain, the Dutch FM's vision for the EU, and much more. Curious? 🔗 Read it first: big-europe.eu/subscribe

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

⚡ Europe has a plan to stop buying Russian fossil fuels. It has another to buy less oil and gas. But what about the imports that remain? A fossil fuel supply strategy beckons. BIG's @thijsvandegraaf.bsky.social set out the five choices the EU must make to get there. ➡️🔗 shorturl.at/MkWOz

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

The Hague’s message to Europe: realism, optimism and capacity. In this Four BIG Questions interview, Tom Berendsen, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, lays out the Dutch vision for a stronger and safer Europe. 🔗 shorturl.at/wXP73

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Article 5's power as a deterrent depends on credibility anchored in trust. Yet trust among NATO Allies is at a low ebb. Can it be rebuilt in Ankara? For Defence Fellow Claude-France Arnould, the Alliance must show it can work together - otherwise, it will only show weakness. ➡️🔗 shorturl.at/hyvdB

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

🇪🇺 The time for a European Social Stack is now. 💡 Michael Foster and Björn Staschen argue that we must reclaim our digital sovereignty by building the social infrastructure needed to speak, debate and share knowledge according to our own rules. 🔗 shorturl.at/UGkw8

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

What place for a beefed-up Bundeswehr in Europe’s shifting security architecture? Bundestag Member @sarananni.bsky.social gives BIG her take on Berlin's military Zeitenwende, the symbolism of German rearmament, and why coherent industrial policy is the bedrock of our defence. ➡️🔗 shorturl.at/CUmA2

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

New week, new BIG name: we're proud to welcome global digital policy expert Sabine Muscat as Senior Fellow. She will lead our research on the geopolitics of AI. Power politics has a new digital front line. With BIG, Sabine will make the case for EU policies which makes Europe a player, not a pawn.

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

❗️As debate grows over its future, EEAS faces a familiar charge: Europe has diplomatic potential, but still struggles to turn it into coordinated action Revisit two BIG essays on Europe’s search for coherence in a fragmented strategic environment: 🔗 shorturl.at/VwqbT 🔗 shorturl.at/X6H3S

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

🛂 The New Pact on Migration+Asylum further externalizes the EU's efforts to control migratory flows. Yet partnerships with third states risk creating dependencies, with Europe's neighbours exploiting their role for geopolitical leverage - and abuses even further out of sight. ➡️🔗 shorturl.at/zvsjl

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Faced with the return of history, Europe must come together or risk falling apart. Our Founding Director Luuk van Middelaar is leading the intellectual charge for unity. Meet the thinker behind the Brussels Institute for Geopolitics in today's NYT: shorturl.at/LqkMJ @luukvmiddelaar.bsky.social

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

The Global Gateway has long been framed as the EU’s alternative to Chinese geostrategic influence in the Global South. But does it live up to its own moral ambition? Valeria Santi takes stock of the Initiative - as well as the critiques levelled against it - in our latest essay. ➡️🔗 shorturl.at/sbUjD

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Europe isn’t short of ideas to strengthen the global role of the euro. What it lacks is strategy. In a new BIG Briefing, Martijn Jeroen van der Linden sets out how the EU can move from ad-hoc monetary policy towards a strategy which ensures geoeconomic relevance for the euro. ➡️🔗 shorturl.at/cGQGR

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

🇺🇸🌍 As Washington looks to expand its influence in European politics, the ideas behind MAGA’s view of Europe have never mattered more. In a new BIG essay, Beni Kovacs examines the ideological roots of MAGA's anti-European offensive. 🔗 Read the full essay here: shorturl.at/ppouK

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

The EU-Western Balkans Summit takes place this Friday. The wide-ranging agenda reveals the renewed relevance of the region for the EU's geostrategic ambitions - not least when it comes to enlargement. Here's our overview of what to expect in Montenegro ➡️🔗 shorturl.at/3khAU

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

🇪🇺🇮🇪 On 26 May, BIG welcomed Thomas Byrne, Irish Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, for a discussion on Ireland’s upcoming Presidency of the Council of the EU. 🔗 Read the full post-event report and listen again here: shorturl.at/fd1rn

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

🛡️ NATO avoided a moment of crisis in Sweden – but the alliance remains deeply uncertain. In a new BIG op-ed, Claude-France Arnould examines how turbulence within the transatlantic alliance is sharpening debates on European defence industrial capacity and strategic autonomy. 🔗 shorturl.at/n9hqd

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

💡 In a new BIG essay, Paul Nolan examines the political logic behind Macron’s Africa strategy – and the structural transformations reshaping France’s role on the continent. Read the full piece here: shorturl.at/80nhy

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

📅🌐 How can Europe remain competitive in an age of geoeconomics? Join BIG for a conversation on Europe’s economic future in a more contested global economy, and on the upcoming Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Find out more and register here: shorturl.at/M5S8u

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

🧠🛡️ Hybrid conflict begins in the mind – and Europe’s defence begins with bolstering its cognitive resilience. Faced with Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference on a huge scale, the challenge now is to anchor various countermeasures in a coherent pan-European strategy. 🔗 shorturl.at/A5x1E

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Missed last week’s European Sovereignty Days at BIG? Read the reports of our insightful conversations with leading experts - or listen again - via the links. ⬇️ 🟡 Digital sovereignty w/ Marietje Schaake + Paul Timmers: 🔗 shorturl.at/MhkHq 🟡 Strategic autonomy w/ SAAB and Indra: 🔗 shorturl.at/iKGXL

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

💡BIG’s latest map captures the growing geostrategic relevance of the South Caucasus, as the contest over transit routes becomes central to Moscow’s weakening influence, China’s expanding footprint and Europe’s search for resilient corridors. 🔗 Map and full article: shorturl.at/i6wWy

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

🤝❓ The European Political Community gathers today in Yerevan – and Canada will join for the first time. From the ‘geopolitics of the guestlist’ to the summit's appealing informality, our #EPC Report explores the format's unexpected staying power – and where it goes next. ⬇️ 🔗 shorturl.at/mTqQx

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

🔋⚡ BIG’s event, moderated by Thijs Van de Graaf, with Jilles van den Beukel, Brendan Devlin and Maria Pastukhova, explored how Iran-related tensions and Strait of Hormuz disruptions are reshaping the EU’s outlook. 🔗 Read the report and listen again: shorturl.at/K2UyD

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

As Péter Magyar lands in Brussels today, we asked one of his key allies in the EU capital to draw back the curtain on his Tisza party's vision for the 'new Hungary' and its new place in the European geopolitical order. 🔗 Read our Four BIG Questions to Márton Hajdú here: shorturl.at/qBRnr

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

The European Defence Agency could be the engine for Europe’s rearmament – if the political will to empower it can be found. Claude-France Arnould, fmr. EDA Chief Exec and BIG Fellow, sets out what needs to be done for the Agency to live up to its potential.⬇️ 🔗 Read her paper here: shorturl.at/XcNGU

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Brussels Institute for Geopolitics @bigeurope.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

BIG’s Luuk van Middelaar contributed to Why Europe Matters, a new documentary bringing together leading voices from across the continent to confront a central question: can Europe turn its strengths into collective power amid rising geopolitical pressure? 🔗 Full film here: shorturl.at/CCaBt

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