European Council on Foreign Relations online launch

As one of its founding members Gerald joined the launch of the European Council on Foreign Relations. The ECFR is to promote a more integrated European foreign policy in support of shared European interests and values.  With a policy team in seven capitals – London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Sofia, Madrid and Warsaw – it unites some of the continent's most distinguished researchers and analysts to promote Europe's role in the world. 

The European Council on Foreign Relations

17.10.07 - Wall Street Journal

"The most compelling reason for supporting the Reform Treaty is the fact that it could help the EU become a more effective power in the world.” writes Mark Leonard in an opinion piece.

11.10.07 - Spiegel Online

"At the moment, we don't have one European policy towards Russia, we have five different ones.” Interview with founding member Timothy Garton Ash.

More press reactions to ECFR

Founding members:

Martti Ahtisaari

Joschka Fischer

Timothy Garton Ash

• Urban Ahlin (Sweden) Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee; foreign policy spokesperson for the Social Democratic Party
• Martti Ahtisaari (Finland) UN Special Envoy for the Future Status Process for Kosovo; President of the Crisis Management Initiative; former President
• Giuliano Amato (Italy) Minister of Interior; former Prime Minister and vice president of the European Convention
• Hannes Androsch (Austria) Founder of AIC Androsch International Management Consulting
• Marek Belka (Poland) Executive Director of the UN Economic Commission for Europe; former Prime Minister
• Svetoslav Bojilov (Bulgaria) Founder of the Communitas Foundation and President of Venture Equity Bulgaria Ltd.
• Emma Bonino (Italy) Minister for Europe and International Trade; former European Commissioner
• Robert Cooper (United Kingdom) Director General for External and PoliticoMilitary Affairs, Council of the EU General Secretariat
• Marta Dassù (Italy) Diplomatic adviser to Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema; Director of the Aspen Institute Italia
• Gijs de Vries (The Netherlands) Senior Fellow at the Clingendael Institute; former EU Counterterrorism Coordinator
• JeanLuc Dehaene (Belgium) Member of the European Parliament, former Prime Minister and vice president of the European Convention
• Gianfranco Dell'Alba (Italy) Chef de Cabinet for Minister Emma Bonino
• Andrew Duff (United Kingdom) Member of the European Parliament, ALDE
• Sarmite Elerte (Latvia) Editorinchief of Latvian daily newspaper Diena
• Brian Eno (United Kingdom) musician and producer
• Joschka Fischer (Germany) Former Foreign Minister and viceChancellor
• Timothy Garton Ash (United Kingdom) Professor of European Studies at Oxford University
• Bronislaw Geremek (Poland) Member of the European Parliament, ALDE; former Foreign Minister
• Diego Hidalgo (Spain) Cofounder of Spanish newspaper El País and President of FRIDE
• Mary Kaldor (United Kingdom) Professor and Director of the Centre for the Study of Global Governance, London School of Economics
• Gerald Knaus (Germany) Founding director of the European Stability Initiative
• Caio KochWeser (Germany) Vice Chairman of the Deutsche Bank Group; former State Secretary.
• Rem Koolhaas (The Netherlands) architect and urbanist; Professor at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University
• Ivan Krastev (Bulgaria) Chair of Board, Centre for Liberal Strategies in Sofia, Bulgaria
• Mart Laar (Estonia) Former Prime Minister of Estonia
• Mark Leonard (United Kingdom) Executive Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations
• Adam Lury (United Kingdom) Director of Menemsha Ltd; former advisor to Lord Browne
• Alain Minc (France) Chairman of Le Monde; Head of consulting group AM Conseil
• Christine Ockrent (Belgium) Editorinchief at France Télévision.
• Leoluca Orlando (Italy) MP; President of the Sicilian Renaissance Institute
• Cem Özdemir (Germany) Member of the European Parliament, Green Party
• Simon Panek (Czech Republic) Chairman of the People in Need Foundation
• Teresa Patricio Gouveia (Portugal) Trustee to the Board of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation; former Foreign Minister
• Chris Patten (United Kingdom) Chancellor of Oxford University; Former EU Commissioner and Governor of Hong Kong
• Diana Pinto (France) Historian and author
• Andrew Puddephatt (United Kingdom) Director of Global Partners & Associated Ltd.
• Sigrid Rausing (United Kingdom) Founder of the Sigrid Rausing Trust
• Albert Rohan (Austria) Deputy to the UN Special Envoy for the Future Status Process for Kosovo
• Pierre Schori (Sweden) Director General of FRIDE; and SRSG to Cote d´Ivoire
• Narcís Serra (Spain) Chair of CIDOB Foundation; former Vice President
• Elif Shafak (Turkey) Writer
• Aleksander Smolar (Poland) Chairman of the Board, Stefan Batory Foundation
• George Soros (Hungary/US) Chairman, Open Society Institute
• Dominique StraussKahn (France) MP, Professor at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris; Former Finance Minister
• Helle Thorning Schmidt (Denmark) Leader of the Social Democratic Party
• Michiel Van Hulten (The Netherlands) Managing Director of BursonMarsteller, Brussels; Former MEP and chairman of the Dutch Labour Party
• Mabel Van Oranje (The Netherlands) International Advocacy Director, Open Society Institute
• Antonio Vitorino (Portugal) Lawyer and former European Commissioner
• Sir Stephen Wall (United Kingdom) Chairman of Hill and Knowlton (Public Affairs EMEA) and former Europe advisor to PM Tony Blair
• Andre Wilkens (Germany) Executive Director of the Open Society Institute in Brussels