<p>The European Council on Foreign Relations turned 18 in November 2025. This milestone offers a unique moment to reflect on the world in which ECFR was founded—and how dramatically it has changed. In 2007, Europe had the world’s confidence: democracy seemed secure, globalisation was a force for opportunity, EU enlargement was reshaping the continent, and peace felt almost guaranteed. So how did Europe move from the hopeful 2000s to a world of power blocs and war?</p><br><p>This week, <strong>Mark Leonard</strong> is joined by ECFR co-chairs <strong>Carl Bildt</strong>, former prime and foreign minister of Sweden, <strong>Lykke Friis</strong>, former Danish minister of climate, energy and gender equality, and <strong>Norbert Röttgen</strong>, member of the German parliament, to take stock, 18 years after ECFR began. They assess what Europe misunderstood then; what it must confront now; and what the next two decades might look like.</p><br><p>Why did Europe need a pan-European foreign policy think-tank like ECFR in 2007? Why does it still need one today? And how has ECFR has helped shape debates and policies over the past 18 years?</p><br><p><strong>Bookshelf</strong>:</p><p><a href="https://ecfr.eu/publication/waves-of-ambition-russias-military-build-up-in-crimea-and-the-black-sea/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Waves of ambition: Russia’s military build-up in Crimea and the Black Sea</a></p><p><a href="https://ecfr.eu/article/commentary_why_crimea_matters/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Why Crimea matters </a></p><p><a href="https://ecfr.eu/europeansecurity/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">European Security </a></p><br><p><em>This podcast was recorded on November 24th 2025.</em></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>