ThinkTankWeekly

The Open Centre: Reimagining Europe’s offer to a fractured world

Chatham House | 2026-06-26 | europe

Topics: China, Europe, Indo-Pacific, United States

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English Summary

The article argues that Europe must redefine its global role by becoming an 'open centre'—a force for measure and equilibrium rather than a hegemonic power. This requires accepting that the world is no longer Europe-centric (decentering) and adopting a strategy of 'value-based realism.' Crucially, external relevance hinges on domestic renewal: Europe must first rebuild its internal civic bargain to restore trust and cohesion. If successful at home, Europe's new offer will be to act as a non-exclusive partner in solving concrete global problems—such as sustainable infrastructure or digital standards—by accommodating plurality without sacrificing coherence.

中文摘要

本文論述歐洲必須重新定義其全球角色,轉型為一個「開放中心」(open centre)——即一種促進衡量與平衡的力量,而非霸權力量。這要求歐洲接受世界已不再是以自身為中心的格局(去中心化),並採納「價值基礎的現實主義」戰略。關鍵在於外部相關性取決於內部更新:歐洲必須先重建其內部的公民契約,以恢復信任和凝聚力。若能在國內取得成功,歐洲新的全球定位將是作為一個非排他性的夥伴,協助解決具體的全球問題——例如永續基礎設施或數位標準——在不犧牲整體一致性的前提下,接納多元性。

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