Europe Center Commentary & Analysis

How to Identify the Kremlin Ruling Elite and its Agents

By Anders Åslund, Daniel Fried, Andrei Illarionov, and Andrei Piontkovsky

Criteria for the US Administration’s “Kremlin Report” On August 2, 2017, US President Donald J. Trump signed H.R. 3364, Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), into law. Section 241 of the Act calls on “the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence and the Secretary of State” to submit […]

Spain’s Crisis Sharpens

By Ashish Kumar Sen

The crisis in Spain dramatically escalated on October 27 with Catalonia’s regional parliament declaring independence and the Spanish Senate responding with the approval of unprecedented powers for Madrid to seize control of the autonomous region. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called an emergency cabinet meeting and could fire Catalan President Carles Puigdemont and his ministers—he […]

Trump Administration’s Significant Action on Russia Sanctions

By Daniel Fried and Brian O’Toole

The Trump administration on October 26 issued a robust list of Russian defense and intelligence sector entities plus public guidance, which together seem to indicate its intention to robustly implement the new Russia sanctions. Although the list does not itself impose sanctions, it is a significant action, which, if implemented carefully, could impose new restrictions […]

Merkel’s Re-Election Seen as Good News for Transatlantic Ties

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Germany’s Ambassador to the United States, Peter Wittig, cites ‘stability’ German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s re-election to a fourth term on September 24 is good news for the United States, which can continue to rely on Germany to be a “great transatlantic partner,” Germany’s Ambassador to the United States, Peter Wittig, said in an interview. “It […]

An Economic Roadmap for Germany

By Daniel Andrich

On September 24, Germany held an election for its federal parliament, the Bundestag, and as many forecasters had predicted, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) emerged as the strongest party.  For the first time in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, six political groups consisting of seven parties sit in the Bundestag. With new […]

Dealing with the Far-Right in Germany

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Atlantic Council experts share their take on the outcome of the German elections. Here’s what they have to say:

German Election Shows Europe’s Nationalist Wave Has Not Crested

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Interview with the Atlantic Council’s Daniel Fried German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party came in first, which is good news. But the strong showing by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in elections on September 24 is evidence of the fact that the nationalist wave remains a significant factor in Europe, according to the Atlantic Council’s […]

Duda’s Veto Presents Poland with an Opportunity

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Warsaw must focus on repairing ties with the European Union, said Atlantic Council’s Fran Burwell Polish President Andrzej Duda’s decision to veto controversial judicial reforms gives Poland—the scene of creeping authoritarianism—an opportunity to mend its relationship with the European Union (EU). It also represents a significant split between the president and Jarosław Kaczyński, the head […]

Charting a Path to a More Secure EU

Political developments in Europe leading up to, and in the wake of last year’s Brexit referendum show that the path toward a more secure future for the European Union (EU) cannot rely on traditional political structures, a reality demonstrated by the campaign and election of French President Emmanuel Macron, according to a political analyst. “The […]

Wilson Testifies Before US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on Southeast Europe: Strengthening Democracy and Countering Malign Foreign Influence

By Damon Wilson

Read the full testimony here.