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Reposted by Jake Benford

CDU/CSU-Gruppe im Europäischen Parlament @cducsueuropa.bsky.social · 1d

Heute, am 7. Oktober gedenken wir der Opfer des menschenverachtenden Terrorangriffs der Hamas in Israel vor zwei Jahren.

Nichts und niemand kann diese monströsen Gewalttaten gegen Zivilisten rechtfertigen. Die israelischen Geiseln müssen umgehend freigelassen werden.

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Susanne Baumann @germanambuk.bsky.social · 6d

Amazing to celebrate the landmark 35th anniversary of German Unity with so many British friends tonight.

Today, Germany and the UK work together to secure a lasting peace in Europe – a Europe that is united, free, and democratic.

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Jake Benford @jbenford-berlin.bsky.social · 9d

The UK‘s new Foreign Secretary and the „Welsh foreign policy double act“ with an emotional pro-European message at the Labour Party conference today, and even a hug from the EU Ambassador. But Labour still struggling to project this message beyond diplomatic circles and to the British people…

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Jake Benford @jbenford-berlin.bsky.social · 12d

And in a (belated) response to David Cameron‘s „show me ze papers“ argument: Germans aren‘t required by law to carry ID cards on them. They just have to own them.

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Henning Hoff @henninghoff.bsky.social · 12d

Almost done. Our Fall 2025 issue “Defending Europe‘s Economic Security“ will be out on Tuesday, marking IPQ‘s fifth anniversary — w/ Luuk van Middelaar, Hans Kribbe @jbenford-berlin.bsky.social @lucyaash.bsky.social @helenalegarda.bsky.social @rebeccawire.bsky.social @anandmenon.bsky.social et al.

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Jake Benford @jbenford-berlin.bsky.social · 13d

Worth your time: fresh empirical data mapping Europe‘s geoeconomic entanglements with its neighbours, both wanted and unwanted. Led by my colleague @etiennehoera.d-64.social

Etienne Höra @etiennehoera.d-64.social · 13d

Everyone talks about #geoeconomics, we’re mapping it: Together with colleagues @bst-europe.bsky.social @wiiw.ac.at, ECIPE, we created the Geoeconomic Interconnectivity Index, measuring the EU's trade, finance and policy footprint in its neighbourhood, compared to China, Russia & US. Main findings 🧵

Geoeconomic competition: EU remains most important partner in its neighbourhood, but its rivals are catching up. By Bertelsmann Stiftung, ECIPE, wiiw.

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Jake Benford @jbenford-berlin.bsky.social · 27d

You‘re not wrong. I would hope that dentifying shared problems (here: import dependencies + offensive interests) civil servants work out whether it’s worth it…

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Jake Benford @jbenford-berlin.bsky.social · 28d

6/ For the UK, this will likely mean alignment with aspects of EU trade policy. And both sides must develop a shared strategic understanding on China, which is plumb centre of the defensive agenda. Both will need to evolve and shouldn’t be rigid preconditions to get started.

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Jake Benford @jbenford-berlin.bsky.social · 28d

5/ How to cooperate? Small steps are the way forward, not grand design. More regular and structured dialogue (incl. a dedicated one?); deeper cooperation in priority areas (pilot this in SPS negotiations?) and structured alignment where feasible in the mid-term seem realistic to us.

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Jake Benford @jbenford-berlin.bsky.social · 28d

4/ Equally important: shared offensive interests. What stands out: (1) standard-setting in critical and emerging technologies, (2) shaping global markets in clean technology and advanced manufacturing, and (3) coalition-building in trade and supply-chain governance – think CPTPP.

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Jake Benford @jbenford-berlin.bsky.social · 28d

3/ So what are joint defensive interests? Analysis of shared import vulnerabilities on goods point to China big time, and a decent proportion of these can be considered strategically relevant.

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Jake Benford @jbenford-berlin.bsky.social · 28d

2/ The EU is pushing for a rules-based, “economic foreign policy”, expanding its legislative toolbox. A new doctrine is meant to help overcome MS divisions. The UK has adopted a lighter-touch approach and deployed tools more cautiously – with a higher-risk tolerance on China (think Chinese EVs).

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Jake Benford @jbenford-berlin.bsky.social · 28d

1/ The EU is clearly trying to close-ranks with like-minded allies, notably with global partners (though the US TCC is pretty much on hold). Things are patchier closer to home, notably with regard to the UK.

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Jake Benford @jbenford-berlin.bsky.social · 28d

Economic Security is central to the EU’s external strategy - see SOTEU today - but cooperation with the UK remains nascent. Political and structural reasons are behind this but @antonspisak.bsky.social and I think there are grounds for deeper cooperation: www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de/en/our-proje...

A Missing Pillar: Economic Security in the EU-UK Partnership

Economic security has risen to the top of Europe’s strategic agenda, and the EU has intensified collaboration with key allies. While structural and political factors have so far prevented deeper engag...

www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de

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Jake Benford @jbenford-berlin.bsky.social · Jul 17

"German sentiment sits with the UK, but the strategy always stays with the EU”. My thoughts in @economist.com on the - otherwise highly welcome and well-crafted - Anglo-German Friendship Treaty announced today. Thanks to @sambeal.bsky.social www.economist.com/britain/2025...

Britain and Germany sign a historic treaty

The two countries hope it will alleviate a set of mutual ailments

www.economist.com

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German Foreign Office @germany.diplo.de · Jul 17

Germany and #UK sign the UK-German #FriendshipTreaty today. @aussenminister.diplo.de is traveling to London with Chancellor Merz and will also hold talks with Foreign Secretary David Lammy. 🇩🇪🤝🇬🇧 #StayTuned

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SWP Europe @swp-europe.bsky.social · Jul 10

🇬🇧🇩🇪 A new UK–Germany friendship treaty is on the way – but what will make it last?
In @politicshome.bsky.social, @nvondarza.bsky.social and Ed Turner argue: real depth requires more than ministerial fora – it needs direct links between parliamentarians.
🔗 buff.ly/D6XqLvw

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Jake Benford @jbenford-berlin.bsky.social · Jun 24

A real pleasure to welcome the UK Minister for EU Relations, Nick Thomas-Symonds, to a roundtable with stakeholders in Berlin last week. A detailed and forward-looking discussion of the new Strategic Partnership. More can be done but this is a rare positive development in a gloomy int'l environment

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BSt Europe @bst-europe.bsky.social · Jun 11

We’re live in Berlin with a full house! Daniela Schwarzer and Lucas Guttenberg kick off a spirited discussion on whether coalitions of the willing can save Europe. Follow here for more updates and insights ⬇️

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · May 28

My latest column for @wpr.bsky.social

www.worldpoliticsreview.com/europe-major...

The Return of Europe’s Great(ish) Powers

France, Germany, the U.K. and Poland are increasingly looking to each other—and, notably, not the EU—to address shared geopolitical challenges.

www.worldpoliticsreview.com

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Jake Benford @jbenford-berlin.bsky.social · May 27

Some old barriers, some new pointers - yet the bigger prize remains out of reach. Still, we
are moving forwards. My thoughts on EU-UK post summit, thanks to @padamson.bsky.social

encompass-europe.com/comment/a-st...

A step in the right direction

Last week’s inaugural EU-UK summit marks an end to both sides’ unconstructive approaches to dealing with Brexit, the low-points of which were the UK’s Global Britain fantasies and…

encompass-europe.com

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Jake Benford @jbenford-berlin.bsky.social · May 27

It will be enacted right after the Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz, which is considerably more important.

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Anton Spisak @antonspisak.bsky.social · May 26

And my very own paper, published for @centreeuropeanref.bsky.social last week, is here:

www.cer.eu/insights/per...

A perfect storm: Britain's trade malaise, weak growth and a new geopolitical moment

The UK is facing its most severe trade challenge in decades – and at the worst possible time.

www.cer.eu

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · May 19

It's absolutely peak Britain that the crown jewel of a new EU agreement is us getting access to better queues.

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Richard G. Whitman @rgwhitman.bsky.social · May 19

My take on the EU-UK Security and Defence Partnership agreed at the summit today.

UK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · May 19

"If the intent of this agreement was to signal the beginning of a genuine strategic partnership between the EU and the UK in security and defence, then it falls short."

✍️ @rgwhitman.bsky.social analyses the details of today's EU-UK Security and Defence Partnership

ukandeu.ac.uk/the-new-eu-u...

A modest beginning: the new EU-UK Security and Defence Partnership - UK in a changing Europe

Professor Richard Whitman analyses the Security and Defence Partnership announced at the UK-EU summit in London on Monday 19 May. He argues that the agreement does not exceed any strategic partnership...

ukandeu.ac.uk

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