Commentaries
IS-held territory will be reconquered – and then?
If Europe cannot engage as a security actor in its own neighbourhood, it will be locked out of the region.
Europe in the World
In a world that is largely driven by competition and rivalry (and partnership, yet) between great powers, understanding the Grand Strategy of each of these powers is crucial. So is developing a Grand Strategy for the EU itself. An EU that acts as one, as one pole of the multipolar world on a par with the other powers, is the only way to safeguard the way of life that the Member States of the EU have chosen, based on democracy, the free market, and equality.
Power cannot be divided: a global player must have political, economic, as well as military power. To that end, the Europe in the World Programme analyses the diplomacy and defence of the US, China, and Russia, and of the EU, NATO, and their members. We also focus on geoeconomics, researching Open Strategic Autonomy and the Global Gateway as key EU instruments, as well as the geoeconomic approaches of the other powers.
Defence policy is our third main axis of research, with a particular focus on European defence and its interaction with NATO, but also on nuclear deterrence and the deterrence of hybrid threats. Throughout all three research axis, we devote special attention to the role of Belgium, including notably the development of its own National Security Strategy and diplomatic and military capabilities.
Publications
Permanent Sovereign COoperation (PESCO) to underpin the EU Global Strategy
The EU now has a full-fledged Global Strategy for Foreign and Security Policy – and defence. Just in time. The EUGS includes a clear political level of ambition as well […]
External publications
Green diplomacy. India and the new dynamics in global climate talks
Until recently, emerging powers’ actions in multilateral structures were mainly driven by the desire to water down or derail robust proposals backed by developed countries (especially the EU). In the […]
European defence core groups. The why, what & how of permanent structured cooperation
The deteriorating security situation around Europe and the burgeoning messages from Washington that Europe has to take more responsibility for its own security call for a step change in European […]
Has Trump reshuffled the cards for Europe?
“I think NATO may be obsolete”. When Donald Trump, the next President of the United States, spoke these words during the campaign, he most likely had only a vague idea […]
Commentaries
Uncertain reform call meets structural rigidities: The EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy in 2016
Christian Deubner assesses how a strengthened and more binding integration of the external security and defence policies of the EU Member States could improve their security in the Union’s more dangerous […]