Blog | ENSURED: Shaping Cooperation for a World in Transition

From the Coordinators: Global Governance Remains a Work-in-Progress

Blog Post

28.10.2026

From the Coordinators: Global Governance Remains a Work-in-Progress

Three years, multiple wars, and a US retreat from multilateralism later, the ENSURED coordinators look back on what the project has learned. Their verdict: global governance is under pressure, but far from finished.

“The Most Existential Threat”: Contestation, Sanctions, and the Future of the International Criminal Court

Blog Post

26.10.2026

“The Most Existential Threat”: Contestation, Sanctions, and the Future of the International Criminal Court

Facing US sanctions on the institution itself and new withdrawals, the International Criminal Court (ICC) confronts its most serious crisis yet. What has the court learned from past challenges, and what would meaningful support from the EU look like?

Gisela Hirschmann

“A Built-In Weakness”: The UN Security Council and Pathways to Incremental Reform

Blog Post

23.9.2026

“A Built-In Weakness”: The UN Security Council and Pathways to Incremental Reform

As demands for representation grow and the veto stalls the UN Security Council, what would be achievable pathways to reform? And how could the European Union (EU) use its members' 2026 presidencies to make it happen?

“An (Almost) Empty Signifier”: Making Sense of Europe’s Digital Sovereignty Debate

digitalisation

Blog Post

31.8.2026

“An (Almost) Empty Signifier”: Making Sense of Europe’s Digital Sovereignty Debate

'Digital sovereignty' has become one of the EU's most invoked ideas, covering everything from semiconductors to children's data. Why is the term so powerful, where does it risk tipping into securitisation, and what might Europe's debate be overlooking?

Linda Monsees

"A Genuinely European Payment Infrastructure": The Digital Euro and Strategic Autonomy

digitalisation

Blog Post

29.6.2026

"A Genuinely European Payment Infrastructure": The Digital Euro and Strategic Autonomy

Europe is pushing ahead with its own digital currency, spurred by geopolitical pressure and a growing unease about reliance on US payment giants. But design choices and member-state fragmentation could hold it back. What is at stake?

"Reform Has Not Collapsed, It Has Bifurcated": Global Tax Reform Amid Power Politics

trade and inequality

Blog Post

11.6.2026

"Reform Has Not Collapsed, It Has Bifurcated": Global Tax Reform Amid Power Politics

How can global tax governance function in a parallel system? Where does it stand today, and what does the future of tax governance look like?

Thomas Rixen

“Public Opinion Is Not Background Noise”: How Citizens Shape and Constrain International Organisations

strategic communication

Blog Post

27.4.2026

“Public Opinion Is Not Background Noise”: How Citizens Shape and Constrain International Organisations

Public opinion is an increasingly powerful force shaping the legitimacy, authority, and effectiveness of international organisations. What drives citizens’ views of IOs, how do those views influence multilateral cooperation, and can these organisations still secure public support in an increasingly contested world?

Lisa Dellmuth

"The Stakes Are Existential": Europe's Strategic Choices in a Disordered World

EU foreign policy

Blog Post

7.4.2026

"The Stakes Are Existential": Europe's Strategic Choices in a Disordered World

Europe is not navigating a transition: it is facing a rupture of the global governance system. To avoid becoming a rule-taker in a fragmented world, the EU must make hard choices about where to lead and where to adapt. What are they?

"A Particularly Worrying Message": What Omnibus I Signals About the EU's Global Role

climate and sustainability

Blog Post

24.2.2026

"A Particularly Worrying Message": What Omnibus I Signals About the EU's Global Role

To boost EU competitiveness through regulatory simplification, the European Commission adopted the Omnibus I package, amending key sustainability directives. While framed as a move to reduce burdens, the reforms may risk weakening the EU’s role as a global standard-setter.

Maddalena Neglia

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From the Coordinators: Global Governance Remains a Work-in-Progress

“The Most Existential Threat”: Contestation, Sanctions, and the Future of the International Criminal Court

“A Built-In Weakness”: The UN Security Council and Pathways to Incremental Reform

“An (Almost) Empty Signifier”: Making Sense of Europe’s Digital Sovereignty Debate

"A Genuinely European Payment Infrastructure": The Digital Euro and Strategic Autonomy

"Reform Has Not Collapsed, It Has Bifurcated": Global Tax Reform Amid Power Politics

“Public Opinion Is Not Background Noise”: How Citizens Shape and Constrain International Organisations

"The Stakes Are Existential": Europe's Strategic Choices in a Disordered World

"A Particularly Worrying Message": What Omnibus I Signals About the EU's Global Role