Events over the past year – first and foremost the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with its immediate and long-term consequences – have both confirmed and accelerated the long-term global trends which were highlighted in last year’s Forward Look. These trends included global fragmentation, the polarisation of society, evolving economic models, and pressing environmental challenges. Their development during 2022 suggests that we are witnessing the beginning of a new era of both challenges and opportunities which may call for a far-reaching reassessment of the European model.
Russia’s war against Ukraine is the most visible and far-reaching of these developments, but it is not the only one.