Among our most read articles of 2025 #BestOf2025 Our editor @ianadreyer.bsky.social on EU US trade Editor’s Take: The EU is fighting the last trade war with the United States

Among our 2025 most read articles (no paywall) - An interview by @ianadreyer.bsky.social with Ignacio Garcia Bercero Key message:  👉 European Parliament can help rebalance  EU US deal 🇪🇺 🇺🇸

Oped Tim Groser, Steve Verheul and John Clarke on "Operationalising Ursula von der Leyen’s #CPTPP ambitions" This is among Borderlex's "Best of" the year 2025 articles #EUCPTPP

On the EU’s #economicsecurity policy (see earlier post). We were at least 3 observers coming at it frm diff angles on same morning/same day, w very converging verdicts. Here @alanbeattie.bsky.social thrashing the thing with usual verve and brilliance giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Where I muse about the (largely botched) way the EU is getting about buttressing its ‘economic security’. (No paywall) borderlex.net/2025/12/18/e...

Plusieurs enquêtes (journalistiques & institutionnelles) ont établi que Frontex a multiplié les pratiques illégales & attentatoires aux droits fondamentaux. Ce qui a conduit, notamment, à la démission de son directeur (français) Fabrice Leggeri. Lequel est désormais député européen... pour le RN.

Frontex & droits des migrants : Importants arrêts de la CJUE qui annule les jugements du Tribunal de l'Union. En jugeant que : - La responsabilité de Frontex peut être engagée pour ses opérations contraires aux droits fondamentaux; - La charge de la preuve doit être aménagée pour les victimes.

My latest musings/reflections/rants on all things “economic security” in Europe and how the file is being run in Brussels A last piece of commentary from me before the year closes. Scary to sense that a lot is being played out merely in the coming days… borderlex.net/2025/12/18/e...

Two major tests of relevance and ability for the EU this week: Achieving the Russian asset freeze Getting Mercosur approved and signed Rarely felt so dramatic. We’re on the brink.

UK 🇬🇧 , Korea 🇰🇷 modernise free trade deal. New: - digital trade rules - new origin rules for autos 🚗 #Roo - financial, ☎️ telco rules - customs rules - movement of ppl - food safety - investment protection - Paris Agreement on climate 🌳 By @chrishorseman.bsky.social 

WTF are we doing here, BBC?

This week 🗓️ ☝️ EU trade policy - a moment of truth for the #EUMercosur deal 👇 WTO: Crunch time for next ministerial conference #MC14

Excellent piece Among the many gems: "for all that there has been some improvement in the tone of the UK-EU relationship under Labour, the domestic narrative remains one of suspicious, sullen instrumentalism."

China's rare earth export restrictions this year may means Beijing overreached, argues the EU's Chamber of Commerce in Beijing in a new report. By @ianadreyer.bsky.social 

(Of course the far right groups don’t ask why the guy in the heart of the Commission who is being investigated for being part of spying ring is still in office!)

Listen, he should be saying We won’t join the customs union because even if it makes sense for supply chains, it would deprive us of an independent trade policy & force us to follow EU trade policy without having a say in it. Joining CU only makes sense if rejoining EU.

No Madam. It’s people who have the right to decide where they go. Shameful radical right wing rhetoric now at top of EU leadership.

Fascinating “Hegemony is the wrong thing to want and it wasn’t achievable,” according to the document. h/t @maxbergmann.bsky.social www.defenseone.com/policy/2025/...

. @kiel.institute Thanks for the update 5siut.r.sp1-brevo.net/mk/mr/sh/SMJ...

👀 (Et ma retraite à 62 ans alors?)

The joint American and Russian attack on Europe is ideological and if Europe is going to succeed in fighting back - rather than be reduced to an unhappy collection of vassal states - it needs to decide whether it is willing and able to defend its own liberal democratic ideals. My latest

Late to this White House National Security Strategy hot-take game. Whereas it is atrocious generally & for Europe/EU, what strikes me most is the return to the most aggressive 19th century form of imperialism in Latin America "The Trump Corrollary to the Monroe Doctrine". Lo siento, amigos.

Can we stop being in denial, please, @kajakallas.bsky.social

Well that's cute. Of course the most important issue: facilitation of disinformation under the DSA left out. ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

"Unpopular opinion" comme on dit en bon français J’admire l’acharnement de JL Demarty face à ce qu’il appelle "un grand classique du déni de réalité à la française" Il doit s’en prendre plein la figure tous les jours. #uemercosur www.lepoint.fr/monde/le-mer....

This essay, like the previous one, is not paywalled, as I believe it should be shared as widely as possible. However, if you would like to read most of my other pieces (155 long-reads to date) in the archives, please feel free to subscribe in full. tenzerstrategics.substack.com/subscribe?ut...

Juste ahurissant.

Je me souviens d’une époque où enfariner/jeter un oeuf/lancer des tomates sur un homme (en général un homme) politiques était considéré comme faisant partie du jeu démocratique et plutôt amusant. Pauvre petit Jordan Bardella qui ne supporte rien. www.lemonde.fr/politique/ar...

European Commission champion of due process and rule of law.

🚨Two more instances of centre-right to far-right majority today in the EP:

An absolute priority!

Keeps one fretting.

Goddammit.

Vraiment, les partis politiques en sont au stade infantile et régressif de la politique. Cadeaux pour tous, “les riches paieront”, ne changeons rien aux retraites etc. Zero vision d’avenir, clientélisme électoral de basse catégorie. Quelle catastrophe. www.lemonde.fr/les-decodeur...

The "Peace Plan" Point 1. We re affirm Ukraine's sovereignty. Point 2-28. We remove Ukraine's sovereignty.

The EU and India are cutting corners to get a trade deal across the line by the end of the year. The latest casualty is the state-owned enterprises chapter - now consigned to history. But problems remain. More by me here borderlex.net/2025/11/25/e...

While Ukraine was trying to bring about peace in coordination with our US and European allies, Russia was attacking Kharkiv last night. Russia killed four people and injured at least 13 more, including two children. Three residential buildings and an infrastructure object were set on fire.

MESSAGE to EU: All that Turnberry-dealing (aka trade capitulation) in the name of “Ukraine” and “stability” of relationships with Washington - for nothing - and many have told you so! Ukraine faces choice of losing ‘dignity’ or American support, Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns on.ft.com/4pnoAKd

A l’instant: Contrôle des passeports à l’aéroport de @toulousefr.bsky.social dans un vol à l’intérieur de la zone Schengen arrivant de Belgique. C’est quoi ça, @info.gouv.fr @police-nationale.bsky.social ? Arrêtez de casser la liberté et l’Europe!

Think the new EU #ferroalloys #safeguard boring? It sets a precedent for how the EU does trade defence (not beautiful) and may pave the way for new ones in future. by @ianadreyer.bsky.social#ferroalloys#safeguard

YES YES YES - great thinking, great research, real thinking-help here.

Anyone who complains about "decades of unfettered free trade policy" doesn't know anything about trade policy.

MAGA’s ongoing war on academic freedom, reflected in headlines from the last 24 hours.

Friends in high places

Today, the conservatives (EPP) passed a major piece of EU legislation with the far-right groups in the EU Parliament, marking the breakdown of the cordon sanitaire. The EPP, under Weber, has decided to sacrifice long-term principles and stability for short-term political gains. Thread:

La Matinale Européenne est sortie Mon analyse du jour: « Ukraine : l’Europe au point mort » Dans les brèves: un Omnibus d’instabilité, une farse sur le budget. Avec @cspillmann.bsky.social et @grimmse.bsky.social 👇 lamatinaleeuropeenne.substack.com/p/ukraine-le...

Mainstreaming of far right in trade. Case study: trade relations w Israel. It starts with the far right-de-legitimising the process – but then the centre right jumps in By @ianadreyer.bsky.social