Strategic Assessment: The False Promise of a China Pivot

Executive Summary  The European Union’s emerging re-engagement with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), frequently characterised by policymakers as a pragmatic or transactional recalibration, constitutes a strategic misjudgement with compounding long-term risks. While framed as a stabilising response to transatlantic uncertainty and a means of sustaining Europe’s green and industrial transitions, the empirical record demonstrates […]

From Davos to Munich: New Geopolitical Reality Takes Flight

In our first newsletter of the month, we move from Davos to the Munich Security Conference, taking place from 13 to 15 February, right after a new plenary session of the European Parliament. If Davos is where we saw that the old rules fading, Munich is where we will see the new, harsher reality of […]

China’s Quiet Non-Wins at Davos

Executive Summary  At Davos 2026, China avoided overt confrontation and instead deployed a strategy of calculated restraint, positioning itself as a predictable and non-combative interlocuteur amid visible Western tensions. This posture may have created the appearance of quiet advantage, but did not translate into a substantive diplomatic or strategic win. Beijing largely reiterated long-standing talking […]

Berlin and Rome Rewire Europe’s Security Architecture

Executive Summary The signing of the “Agreement on Enhanced Co-operation on Security, Defence, and Resilience” in Rome on 23 January 2026, represents a fundamental shift in European power dynamics. Beyond a standard defence treaty, this document formalises a partnership focused on three high-stakes geopolitical arenas: the African continent, orbital strategic autonomy, and transnational cyber resilience. […]

The Ever-Changing Mountain Air of Davos

Another World Economic Forum has ended and heralded the beginning of a new year, with new challenges to be faced in the geopolitical landscape. Today, we are looking closer at the messages of the main stars of the show. The Ever-Changing Mountain Air of Davos What used to be an economic summit where economists, business […]

Iran’s Post-Protest Trajectories: What Comes Next

Executive Summary  The current volatility in Iran has transitioned from localised domestic unrest to a systemic risk threatening the architectural stability of the Middle East and the global East-West balance. B&K Agency assesses that the “muddling through” strategy of previous decades is no longer a viable baseline. We further assess that the Iranian state is […]

Arctic Hold’em: The High-Stakes Trade War for Greenland

The current diplomatic friction between the United States, the Kingdom of Denmark, and the European Union regarding the status of Greenland represents a significant shift in Arctic governance and transatlantic relations. For B&K Agency stakeholders, this situation requires an objective understanding of the underlying strategic motivations and the structural changes occurring within the North Atlantic […]

B&K Explains: Portugal’s Presidential Run-Off

Executive Summary  The Portuguese Republic has entered a period of unprecedented institutional tension following the first round of the 2026 presidential election. For only the second time in the five decades since the restoration of democracy, the country will proceed to a second-round run-off on 8 February.  The results from 18 January have crystallised a fragmented political landscape. Moderate […]

The Commission Unveils the New Cybersecurity Act

On 20 January, the European Commission unveiled a proposal for the new Cybersecurity Act, signaling a switch in how the Union views the digital component of its economy. While the original 2019 Cybersecurity Act was characterised by a focus on softer measures, including voluntary certification schemes and the institutional strengthening of European Agency for Cybersecurity, this revised version is a far more assertive legislative instrument. […]