Carl Bildt

The writer was Sweden's foreign minister from 2006 to October 2014, and was Prime Minister from 1991 to 1994, when he negotiated Sweden's EU accession. He is a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Europe.

Remembering the miracle of 1989

This month marks 30 years since Europe—and human civilisation generally—began to undergo a miraculous transformation that is now etched in the world’s memory. By the summer of 1989, the Soviet Union was already in terminal decline.

5y ago

Towards a new global charter

In August 1941, even before the United States had entered World War II, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and US President Franklin D Roosevelt met secretly off the coast of Newfoundland to discuss how the world could be organised after the war.

5y ago

Showdown in Munich

It was at the 2007 Munich Security Conference that Russian President Vladimir Putin first signalled a cooling of Russian-Western relations.

5y ago

Navigating the Syrian endgame

After a suspiciously sudden conversion, Russian President Vladimir Putin now claims to be worried about the fate of millions of refugees who have fled the carnage in Syria.

6y ago

The End of NATO?

What is left of NATO and the transatlantic order after US President Donald Trump's tumultuous week in Brussels, the United Kingdom, and Helsinki, where he defended Russian President Vladimir Putin against accusations of cyber warfare by America's own intelligence agencies?

6y ago

The West's Crisis of Confidence

In an age defined by US President Donald Trump's rage, Russian President Vladimir Putin's revisionism, and Chinese President Xi Jinping's unbridled ambition, the international order is becoming increasingly disorderly, dysfunctional, and even dangerous. How did we arrive at this state of affairs? And how can we leave it behind?

6y ago

Securing the digital transition

Every year, the World Economic Forum publishes a Global Risks Report, which distills the views of experts and policymakers from around the world.

6y ago

The Pandora's box of the digital age

Is the world sliding dangerously toward cyber Armageddon? Let us hope not; but let us also apprehend the threat, and focus on what to do about it.

6y ago
August 21, 2019
August 21, 2019

Remembering the miracle of 1989

This month marks 30 years since Europe—and human civilisation generally—began to undergo a miraculous transformation that is now etched in the world’s memory. By the summer of 1989, the Soviet Union was already in terminal decline.

March 28, 2019
March 28, 2019

Towards a new global charter

In August 1941, even before the United States had entered World War II, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and US President Franklin D Roosevelt met secretly off the coast of Newfoundland to discuss how the world could be organised after the war.

February 23, 2019
February 23, 2019

Showdown in Munich

It was at the 2007 Munich Security Conference that Russian President Vladimir Putin first signalled a cooling of Russian-Western relations.

August 25, 2018
August 25, 2018

Navigating the Syrian endgame

After a suspiciously sudden conversion, Russian President Vladimir Putin now claims to be worried about the fate of millions of refugees who have fled the carnage in Syria.

July 25, 2018
July 25, 2018

The End of NATO?

What is left of NATO and the transatlantic order after US President Donald Trump's tumultuous week in Brussels, the United Kingdom, and Helsinki, where he defended Russian President Vladimir Putin against accusations of cyber warfare by America's own intelligence agencies?

April 23, 2018
April 23, 2018

The West's Crisis of Confidence

In an age defined by US President Donald Trump's rage, Russian President Vladimir Putin's revisionism, and Chinese President Xi Jinping's unbridled ambition, the international order is becoming increasingly disorderly, dysfunctional, and even dangerous. How did we arrive at this state of affairs? And how can we leave it behind?

January 27, 2018
January 27, 2018

Securing the digital transition

Every year, the World Economic Forum publishes a Global Risks Report, which distills the views of experts and policymakers from around the world.

December 23, 2017
December 23, 2017

The Pandora's box of the digital age

Is the world sliding dangerously toward cyber Armageddon? Let us hope not; but let us also apprehend the threat, and focus on what to do about it.

December 20, 2017
December 20, 2017

Can Europe Sustain the Macron Moment?

At the start of 2017, many feared that the European project would experience a near-breakdown within the next year.

October 28, 2017
October 28, 2017

The only way forward on North Korea

Could the world soon witness another devastating war on the Korean Peninsula? That question looms large in many conversations these days.