August 25, 2025
The European Union’s development strategy is at a crossroads, facing a global “polycrisis” that demands a new approach. Our latest policy brief argues for a fundamental overhaul, drawing on rich discussions from the ETTG-PISM dialogue on resilience held earlier this year in Warsaw to explore how incorporating diverse perspectives from Central and Eastern Europe can forge a more effective external policy for the EU.
Some key takeaways include:
- The EU’s current development strategy is obsolete and needs a fundamental overhaul that integrates aid with investment, migration, and security.
- Central and Eastern European countries offer unique perspectives, drawing on their non-colonial past and recent democratic transitions to build peer-to-peer partnerships.
- EU candidate countries champion nuanced democracy promotion and a more flexible, context-specific approach to aid conditionality in the Global South.
- A credible global policy requires the EU to reconcile its internal diversity with its external ambitions, embracing the rich perspectives of all member states.
- Future EU engagement must be tailored and context-sensitive, adapting to the new realities of a multipolar world.
The policy brief authored by Iliana Olivié (ETTG and Elcano) and Daniele Fattibene (ETTG), reviewed Patryk Kugiel (PISM) outlines a path forward for a more inclusive and action-oriented EU development strategy. The full document is enclosed here.
Cite as: Olivié, I., & Fattibene, D. (2025). Rebalancing European voices in the EU international cooperation agenda (ETTG Policy Brief 6/2025). European Think Tanks Group.
