Focus Europe

“Focus Europe” features studies of strategic developments and security issues in Europe, the progress of India-EU relations, and India’s ties with major European powers.

This past month saw Europe continue to recalibrate its outlook in response to a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape. Ursula von der Leyen’s SOTEU captured the direction clearly: stronger defence, greater economic resilience and new strategic partnerships. Proposals ranging from a European Security Council to new strategic enablers reflected Europe’s desire to build a stronger European pillar within NATO and a greater capacity to respond independently to crises.

Yet, this ambition continues to run into familiar European fault lines. Kaja Kallas’s proposed high-level defence group was abandoned within days after opposition from major member states. The episode was revealing. Even a modest advisory mechanism proved difficult to sustain, underlining how questions of authority, duplication and national influence continue to complicate European defence integration.

At the same time, Europe is widening its strategic partnerships. The proposed new relationship with Canada, alongside a more strategic approach to Greenland and the Arctic, points to a Europe looking beyond traditional institutional formats. Defence, critical minerals, energy, technology and economic security are increasingly being treated as parts of the same strategic equation.

Migration remains another defining point of political pressure. The rise of far-right and nationalist parties has pushed borders, national identity and ‘remigration’ further into the mainstream debate, forcing centrist parties towards tougher positions. Europe’s challenge is increasingly one of balance: strengthening border security without abandoning its commitments to human rights and dignity.

Domestic politics is adding another layer of uncertainty. Questions of self-determination have resurfaced within the United Kingdom; Germany faces the continuing rise of the AfD alongside pressure on Chancellor Merz’s reform agenda; and France approaches the 2027 presidential election with a weakened centre, a divided left and a strengthened National Rally.

Taken together, these developments point to a broader political shift: sovereignty, security and national identity are all gaining ground across Europe. This does not necessarily mean rejection of the European project, but it could make deeper integration harder and shape future debates on migration, defence and burden-sharing.

Against this backdrop, India-EU relations are acquiring greater strategic weight. Recent engagements, including with Belgium, and progress on the India-EU FTA, reflect expanding cooperation across defence, energy, critical minerals, technology and supply chains. But Europe’s outreach to India should not be over-read in terms of strategic intent. It is part of a wider response to a changing world in which Europe is seeking to de-risk, diversify markets and supply chains, and reduce strategic dependencies. India, with its scale, growth and geopolitical weight, fits naturally into that search for reliable partners. The logic is reciprocal: India too is diversifying its economic and strategic partnerships. That convergence of interests may ultimately prove more durable, despite some underlying dissonance on issues related to Ukraine.

To read this issue please click Focus Europe, Vol. II, Issue 9.