Carney: “The next world order will likely be built out of Europe.” Europe is entering a geopolitical expansion phase: Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans moving toward future EU accession, deeper agreements with the UK and Canada, and a European NATO defence budget that will exceed €800bn by 2030, surpassing Russia and China in nominal terms. But scale alone is not enough. Europe must complete the single market in services, finance and energy, reduce the innovation gap with the US, and build a unified foreign policy capable of defending European interests.

Today, the European Union took a major step forward. All Member States agreed to open the first accession negotiations cluster with Ukraine and Moldova. At the first Intergovernmental Conference on Monday, we will open the cluster on fundamentals; the backbone of the accession process. It covers the core values and principles on which the EU is built, from the rule of law to strong democratic institutions. This is a recognition of the determination, courage and hard work shown by both countries in advancing reforms, even in the face of immense challenges. And a signal that the EU’s offer of peace, stability and opportunity is unmatchable. Enlargement is a strategic choice. By bringing our nations closer together, we strengthen peace, security and prosperity across our continent. In a world marked by growing uncertainty, a larger European Union is in our common interest. Enlargement remains one of the EU’s greatest success stories and our best investment in our shared future.

The end of #FCAS in its current form does not come as a surprise; in fact, it was foreseeable. I have been pointing this out for months: Projects like this can only succeed on equal footing. The French industry claimed a dominant leadership role, while Germany was expected to simply tag along. That was no longer a model of partnership. The fact that @Dassault_OnAir claimed sole design authority for itself, effectively reducing Airbus to the role of a supplier, is not in Europe’s interest – especially considering that we have invested German taxpayers’ money. The good news is: this money is not lost. The first tranche went into basic research, and we will continue to build on that foundation. I regret this failure. Not because it is wrong that Chancellor Merz has now pulled the emergency brake, but because an honest, equal partnership with France should always remain our goal. Franco-German cooperation is essential for Europe’s defence capabilities. A new European cooperation, together with the United Kingdom, Sweden and Spain, now offers an alternative. The fundamental concept of a European sixth-generation fighter aircraft is the right one. Now the implementation must be right as well. This is about Europe’s security. We must finally put an end to national fragmentation and act in the interest of our continent.

Pope Leo XIV in Madrid: “I encourage you to nurture the process of European Union, which is not merely a counterweight to other powers, but a gift to humanity.” Wonderful. A powerful reminder of how beautiful and hopeful the European project truly is. 🇪🇺🇪🇸

This article captures well the spirit of the event. ❤🇬🇧🌧🫂🌞🇪🇺❤ @MarchForRejoin @PulseofEurope @BrusselsTimes brusselstimes.com/brussels-2…

Unser Gründer und geschäftsführender Gesellschafter Ralf Fücks @fuecks wurde gestern von Bundespräsident Frank-Walter Steinmeier mit dem Bundesverdienstkreuz 1. Klasse ausgezeichnet. Gewürdigt wird damit sein langjähriger Einsatz für Freiheit und Demokratie. Ob als Politiker, langjähriger Vorstand der Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung oder als Mitgründer von LibMod: Ralf Fücks prägt seit Jahrzehnten die Debatten über liberale Demokratie, ökologische Modernisierung und die Zukunft Europas. Sein besonderes Engagement gilt der Ukraine sowie der Stärkung demokratischer Zivilgesellschaften in Mittel- und Osteuropa. Das gesamte LibMod-Team gratuliert herzlich zu dieser verdienten Auszeichnung und freut sich über die Anerkennung seines außergewöhnlichen Wirkens für eine liberale und zukunftsfähige Gesellschaft. Herzlichen Glückwunsch, lieber Ralf! 👏  #Bundesverdienstkreuz #RalfFücks #LibMod #Demokratie #Freiheit

Die 🇺🇦 hat an der Wende über zwei Jahre gearbeitet. Und jetzt sieht man die Früchte. Es ist ein langsmerer und schwierigerer Prozess als es bei uns dargestellt wird, aber ein ukrainischer Sieg ist nicht unmöglich. Genaueres 👇

It took just ten years. But the taboo has been finally broken now. 👇

Die Gefahr von (extremistisch) "Links" muss natürlich immer zuerst genannt werden, so als stünde sie immer noch im Vordergrund. Wahlergebnisse und Daten zur politisch motivierten Kriminalität sprechen eine andere Sprache. Der Elefant im Raum nennt sich: Faschismus 2.0, @CDU.