Commentaries
For a big picture strategic review: simplicity and realism
In this first of a five-part series on the place of defence in the future EU Global Strategy, Jolyon Howorth makes the case for a more realistic strategic review based on […]
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
Facing the fourth foreign fighters wave. What drives Europeans to Syria, and to Islamic state? Insights from the Belgian case
Thousands of young Europeans have gone to fight in the Levant, the fourth wave of jihadi foreign fighters since the 1980s. Their decision is rooted in a ‘no future’ subculture […]
Commentaries
A Belgian contribution to an operation in Libya?
Participating in a potential peacekeeping or capacity-building operation in Libya will put extra pressure on Belgium’s defence budget – and on its forces. An opportunity perhaps to re-think the presence […]
Commentaries
Germany’s new Ostpolitik finds ways to engage with Russia
Ostpolitik was considered synonymous with West Germany’s foreign policy during the Cold War. This foreign policy doctrine was developed by Chancellor Willy Brandt to give more strategic options and flexibility […]
The EU–China Bilateral Investment Agreement: Between high hopes and real challenges
In 2012, negotiations over an EU–China bilateral investment agreement were launched to fully tap into the potential of bilateral investments.
Commentaries
New Development Bank in the making
Global governance is undergoing a significant transformation fuelled from the Global South. While the Silk Road Fund and the Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank have come to dominate the headlines […]