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In der europäischen Außenpolitik sind wir ständig mit Konflikten in unserer Nachbarschaft, mit zunehmender Konkurrenz zwischen rivalisierenden Mächten, und mit Herausforderungen des multilateralen Systems und unserer Werte konfrontiert; es gibt Diskussionen über Handelsfragen, digitale Regeln, und die globalen Auswirkungen des Klimawandels - um nur einige Themen zu nennen, mit denen wir uns täglich beschäftigen.

Das Amt des Hohen Vertreters der EU für Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik / Vizepräsident der Kommission (HR/VP) bietet ein weit offenes Fenster zur Welt. Und wie jeder Beobachter werde ich von meiner eigenen Perspektive beeinflusst. Ich stimme nicht mit dem Relativismus des spanischen Philosophen de Campoamor aus dem 19. Jahrhundert überein, der in einem berühmten Gedicht sagt, dass nichts wahr oder falsch ist und dass alles von "der Farbe der Brille" abhängt. Einige Dinge sind definitiv wahr und andere falsch, aber wir müssen uns bei fast allen Themen mit unterschiedlichen Positionen auseinandersetzen. Wir leben in einem ständigen "Kampf der Narrative" über die Themen, die unsere Zukunft bestimmen. Wir müssen diese unterschiedlichen Positionen verstehen, wenn wir nach einer gemeinsamen Basis suchen. Insbesondere einer gemeinsamen Basis unter Europäern, was die Aufgabe der HR/VP ist.

Mit meinem Blog beabsichtige ich, einen Schritt zurückzutreten und zum Aufbau einer gemeinsamen europäischen strategischen Kultur beizutragen. Das Amt des HR/VP erlaubt es mir nicht immer, mich so klar zu äußern wie ich das manchmal gerne möchte. Aber ich werde versuchen, hier meine persönlichen Ansichten zu den wichtigsten Themen, die für Europa und seine globale Rolle auf dem Spiel stehen zu präsentieren – durch die Brille eines überzeugten Europäers. Danke dass Sie diesen Erörterungen Ihre Zeit und Aufmerksamkeit schenken, und ich hoffe, dass dieser Blog zu einem besseren Verständnis der Themen beitragen kann mit denen wir uns beschäftigen.

Zusätzlich zu meinen Blog-Einträgen finden Sie hier auch eine Auswahl von Interviews, Reden, Kommentaren und Videos.

Blog-Einträge

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Interviews

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Videos und Vlogs

Publications

EUROPE IN THE ‘ARC OF FIRE’: EU foreign policy in 2024

2024 has confirmed how much Europe is in danger.

From Ukraine to the Middle East, via South Caucasus, the Horn of Africa or the Sahel, conflicts and crises have been multiplying on our doorstep. Not forgetting the rising tensions in the South China Sea. All of this at a time where the US commitment to European security is becoming much more uncertain.

We have continued to support Ukraine, but we have not managed to provide enough resources to stop Russia’s constant attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructures and its advance into Donetsk.
In the Middle East, our call and the call of the international community for a ceasefire, the release of hostages and the respect of international humanitarian law has not been heard and the conflict has spread further in the region.

In this very dangerous geopolitical context, we urgently need to boost our defence capabilities and our defence industry.

This book brings together blog posts, op-eds and speeches by HR/VP Josep Borrell Fontelles addressing the most pressing issues for EU’s foreign and security policy during the year 2024.

Download the PDF here

 

EUROPE BETWEEN TWO WARS. EU FOREIGN POLICY IN 2023

2023 was mainly dominated by the two wars raging in the EU's neighbourhood.

Ukraine managed to liberate half of the territory occupied by Russia in 2022 and unblock the Black Sea. However, Russia continued to attack and destroy the country. Ukraine must prevail because the core principles of the United Nations Charter and EU’s very security are at stake. That is why the EU stepped up its support.

On 7 October, the terrorist attack by Hamas has triggered a new war in Gaza, with serious risks of spill over in the region. The EU has called on and acted for putting an end to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, free the hostages and implement rapidly the two-state solution, the only way to bring a just and lasting peace to the region.

Many other topics were also on EU’s agenda in 2023: the EU-China relations, the coups in the Sahel, the EU-Latin America summit, European defence, multilateralism…

This book brings together blog posts, op-eds and speeches by HR/VP Josep Borrell Fontelles, addressing the most pressing issues for EU’s foreign and security policy during the year 2023.

Download the PDF file here

 

THE YEAR THAT WAR RETURNED TO EUROPE. EU FOREIGN POLICY IN 2022

2022 has been the year of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war against Ukraine. The Russian aggression and its global consequences raise many questions for EU foreign and security policy.

How did the EU react, maintaining its unity and breaking many taboos? Are the sanctions against Russia working? How did the EU respond to the weaponisation of energy by Russia? How did the EU address the consequences of Russia’s aggression on the availability of food and fertilizers globally? What conclusions should the EU draw from this war for European security and defence? How can the EU, in this new geopolitical context, maintain international law and revitalise the multilateral framework to ensure cooperation on global issues like climate change? And how can the EU reinforce its engagement with Africa, the Indo-Pacific and Latin America, what some now call the “Global South”?

In this book, which brings together a collection of blog posts, op-eds and speeches, HR/VP Josep Borrell Fontelles addresses these questions and other issues that dominated EU foreign and security policy in 2022.

Download the PDF & EPub files here

 

STAYING ON COURSE IN TROUBLED WATERS. EU FOREIGN POLICY IN 2021

The year 2021 was dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic and marked by various geopolitical crises. In this book, which contains a collection of articles, blog posts, opeds and speeches, HR/VP Josep Borrell addresses the main questions facing the EU's foreign and security policy. How can the EU become a more credible global security actor and deal with a more competitive strategic environment? How should the EU act in the face of ‘new empires‘ that try to destabilise our neighbourhood? And in what concrete ways can we reinforce the transatlantic partnership and strengthen our engagement with Africa, the Indo-Pacifc and Latin America? What can the EU do to revitalise multilateralism and help build global rules that are ft for purpose in the 21st century? What policies are needed to tackle climate change and increase the EU’s strategic autonomy?

Download the PDF & EPub files here

 

EUROPEAN FOREIGN POLICY IN TIMES OF COVID-19

The book tells the story of the main events of 2020 and how the EU has responded. It traces the main stages of the pandemic and the EU’s actions: from the ‘battle of narratives’ and the work on repatriation, to the development of ‘Team Europe’ and the deal on the recovery fund.

Download the PDF and EPub files here

HR/VP JOSEP BORRELL

EIN STÄRKERES EUROPA IN DER WELT