Na política externa europeia, somos permanentemente confrontados com conflitos na nossa vizinhança, crescente competição entre potências rivais, desafios ao sistema multilateral e aos nossos valores, disputas sobre termos de comércio, quem estabelece as regras para as tecnologias e os efeitos globais das alterações climáticas – para nomear apenas alguns dos assuntos que lidamos todos os dias.

O cargo de Alto Representante da União para os Negócios Estrangeiros e a Política de Segurança/Vice Presidente da Comissão Europeia (AR/VP) oferece uma janela aberta para o mundo. Como qualquer observador, sou influcenciado pela minha própria perspetiva. Não concordo com o relativismo do filósofo espanhol do século XIX,  De Campoamor, que reivindica num poema famoso que nada é verdadeiro ou falso e que tudo depende da ‘cor das suas lentes’. Algumas coisas são definitivamente verdadeiras e outras falsas, mas temos de lidar com posições diferentes em quase todos os tópicos. Vivemos numa permanente ‘batalha de narrativas’ sobre os assuntos que determinam o nosso futuro. Temos de compreender estas posições diferentes se queremos procurar pontos em comum. Em particular pontos em comum entre europeus, que é a tarefa do AR/VP.

Com este blog, pretendo dar um passo atrás e contribuir para a construção de uma cultura estratégica europeia comum. As responsabilidades do AR/VP nem sempre me permitem falar tão claramente como desejaria. Mas tentarei manter aqui presente as minhas visões pessoais, olhando através das lentes de um europeu convicto, sobre os principais temas em causa para a Europa e o seu papel global. Obrigado por dispenderem do vosso tempo e atenção a estes pensamentos. Eu espero que este blog possa contribuir para a criar uma melhor compreensão dos assuntos nos quais estamos envolvidos.

Em adição às minhas publicações no blog, poderão também encontrar aqui um repositório de entrevistas, discursos, artigos de opinião e vídeos.

Blog

Op-eds

Entrevistas

Discursos

Vídeos e Vlogs

Publications

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

A STRONGER EUROPE IN THE WORLD