Brussels Briefing

Europe is up against too many crises and with too little time to prepare.

The EU’s borrowing plan is a solid way forward. Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the other European leaders came through when it mattered.

Brussels’ latest bid to fill the European Union’s leadership void is taking place out of necessity. Paris, Berlin, and other capitals are currently too absorbed to take on the role.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Germany’s new chancellor, Friedrich Merz are Europe’s anchors. Can they put together a new EU budget in the face of Trump and populism?

The global economic turmoil and the Trump administration’s isolationism means that the euro could step into the limelight.

By appointing Andrius Kubilius defense commissioner alongside foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, the European Commission has bet that more resources will lead to more action.

Calls for greater competitiveness expose the gaps between what would make the EU more productive and what its members are willing to do.

Europe’s fiscal future depends on raising productivity in the workforce, which can rise if men start pulling their weight at home.

Paris and Berlin are sidelined as voters seek change and security at the same time. Brussels will have to step in.

The EU needs more than rules to forge a successful technological future. Its digital policy will serve the bloc better if it stays open and consciously linked to the rest of the world.

The EU’s consensus-driven stumble toward choosing institutional leaders is more democratic than the alternatives.

The European Union says it sees China as a partner, a competitor, and a systemic rival. Europe’s priority now should be ensuring that Beijing does not become an enemy.