With the global balance of economic and political power shifting away from Europe, the EU’s influence and credibility are in decline. To repair its image abroad and rebuild trust, the union should strengthen its international engagement and position itself as a force for reform of the international order.

The EU needs to reckon with double standards accusations over its stances on the world stage. If it wants to facilitate greater international cooperation, the union must improve its image in the Global South, be clear about its interests and acknowledge those of its partners.

Lizza Bomassi and Elina Noor explore the nature and future of the partnership between Europe and Southeast Asia.

The EU and ASEAN have diverging priorities in climate, security, technology, trade, and democracy. Stronger cooperation in these fields would enable the two blocs to tackle shared challenges and pursue common interests.

The European Union has labeled China as a cooperation partner, an economic competitor, and a systemic rival but is struggling to implement policies that account for the complexities of this relationship.

Decarbonization is key to delivering the energy transition, but it requires a massive increase in the mining and extraction of minerals like lithium, graphite, and cobalt. The countries that control these resources may be able to shape geopolitical power dynamics to their own advantage.