Chatham House podcast specials
Aug 6, 2026 · 22 min · 9 segments
'Europe is like faith: when you have it, nothing can shake it,' says Grégoire Roos, director of the Europe and Russia and Eurasia Programmes at Chatham House. He explains why he believes Europe should…
Grégoire RoosGuestMike HigginsHostYou have written a fantastic essay for the summer issue of, uh, The World Today, which describes in, uh, I'm gonna say rousing and upbeat terms, uh, how Europe can fashion a new role for itself in whatever direction the world order might be going.
And strikingly, you start by considering the paintings of the great romantic painter, artist, uh, Caspar David Friedrich.
Now, many might say, "Well yes, Europe, in contemplating its fiscal, political, and defense challenges, is indeed contemplating an abyss." But, but you see this painting in much more kind of positive terms.
I've always loved that painting, and if one, uh, puts oneself in that man's shoes, there might be a few things passing through his head, but one might be, "Will I wait for the clouds to dissipate themselves and, um, fade away?" So there's a kind of optimism in that picture that interestingly enough was painted a few...
So, you know, Europe found itself, uh, grappling with that post-Napoleonic reconstruction.
And at the same time, the progress of the Industrial Revolution was providing many across Europe with a bright prospect of more prosperity.
... and more participation of everyone, at least men back then, in society, and there are definite parallels with, uh, with our times, I found.
You have written a fantastic essay for the summer issue of, uh, The World Today, which describes in, uh, I'm gonna say rousing and upbeat terms, uh, how Europe can fashion a new role for itself in whatever direction the world order might be going.
And strikingly, you start by considering the paintings of the great romantic painter, artist, uh, Caspar David Friedrich.
Now, many might say, "Well yes, Europe, in contemplating its fiscal, political, and defense challenges, is indeed contemplating an abyss." But, but you see this painting in much more kind of positive terms.
I've always loved that painting, and if one, uh, puts oneself in that man's shoes, there might be a few things passing through his head, but one might be, "Will I wait for the clouds to dissipate themselves and, um, fade away?" So there's a kind of optimism in that picture that interestingly enough was painted a few...
So, you know, Europe found itself, uh, grappling with that post-Napoleonic reconstruction.
And at the same time, the progress of the Industrial Revolution was providing many across Europe with a bright prospect of more prosperity.
... and more participation of everyone, at least men back then, in society, and there are definite parallels with, uh, with our times, I found.
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