Author: André Reichel

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Electric Avenue: Systems, Sufficiency, and European Sovereignty

tl;dr:  Europe’s agency hinges on becoming an Electrostate—electrified value chains, robust grids, high domestic electrification. Not more tech, but system design & sufficiency.

What an Electrostate Is

An Electrostate is not simply a country with many wind turbines and solar parks. It is a polity whose power rests on electrified value chains—from critical minerals and battery chemistry to power electronics, grids, software, and open standards—combined with high domestic electrification in mobility, heat, and industry.… Read more

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Notes from AOM 2025

tl;dr: AOM 2025 brought planetary boundaries, postgrowth, and critique closer to the centre — but the structural tensions remain. Hopeful shifts, unfinished conversations.

2025 in Copenhagen marked my first in-person AOM since 2019 in Boston. I had joined the virtual meetings in 2020 and 2021, but skipped 2022 and 2023. Returning felt both familiar and strange — especially since this was the first AOM Annual Meeting ever held outside of North America. With around 13,000 participants, it was also the largest in the Academy’s history.… Read more

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Sustainability, Security, and Strategic Autonomy

tl;dr: Sustainability is vital for Europe’s strategic autonomy, resilience, and geopolitical leadership, addressing climate change as a core security issue.

Climate change is no longer only an environmental issue—it is increasingly recognized as a central factor influencing international security. As global temperatures rise, competition over critical resources such as water, food, and land intensifies, leading to heightened risks of conflict and political instability. Natural disasters, exacerbated by climate change, have triggered mass migrations, creating social tensions that can threaten regional and global stability.… Read more

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Europe in the Age of Great Power Politics

tl,dr: The world is shifting into Great Power Politics, with the U.S. retreating, Russia advancing, and China expanding its influence. Europe must step up or risk irrelevance. 

Introduction: A New Global Order and the Challenge for Europe

The world is witnessing a profound geopolitical transformation. The unipolar moment that followed the Cold War—where the United States dictated global affairs with limited challenge—is giving way to a multipolar world, marked by shifting alliances and intensified great power competition.… Read more

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Lines we draw

tl;dr: Borders are human-made. They separate and protect, but their true potential lies in their permeability. Rigid borders lead to stagnation, flexible borders create change and exchange. The challenge: question boundaries and cross them courageously.

Borders structure our world. They create order, provide orientation and separate one thing from another. But borders are not natural. They are man-made constructions, resulting from historical, social and political processes–they are the lines we draw, as Donnella Meadows once wrote.… Read more