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.
Commentaries
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 […]
In 2012, negotiations over an EU–China bilateral investment agreement were launched to fully tap into the potential of bilateral investments.
Commentaries
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 […]
Studia Diplomatica
Articles The implications of Eurasian Integration for the EU’s relations with the countries in the post-Soviet space , by Laure Delcour, Hrant Kostanyan, Bruno Vandecasteele and Peter Van Elsuwege The […]
This article reviews the scope and depth of the European Union’s cooperation on security issues with key global powers, i.e., its so-called ‘strategic partners’.
Studia Diplomatica
Articles British euroscepticism and British exceptionalism. The forty-year “Neverendum” on the relationship with Europe by Andrew Glencross Historical “Monetary Unions” . Lessons for the current Eurozone crisis? by John Ryan and John Loughlin