Commentaries
Shangri La Dialogue 2015: Europe was there
The EU took a (generally) pragmatic approach to relations with Asia at the recent high-level security conference in Singapore.
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
Hybrid Hysteria
Is “hybrid” about to replace “comprehensive” as the favourite container notion of the Brussels foreign policy community? They might not be so different, in fact. Both a hybrid and a […]
Commentaries
The EU–Japan Summit considered in light of the renewed US–Japan defence guidelines: new momentum for the strategic partnership?
During Prime Minister Abe’s state visit to Washington, Japan and the United States made international headlines after revealing renewed joint defence guidelines that no longer
Commentaries
Brexit: How Europe is becoming ever smaller…
What would be the consequences of the so-called ‘Brexit’ for the EU’s foreign policy? This article compares the potential negative and positive aspects, before concluding that the net effect is […]
Commentaries
The European Agenda on Migration, or, the timid beginning of a genuine common European migration policy
On 13 May, the European Commission presented its European Agenda on Migration as a response to the crisis situation in the Mediterranean. This article analyses the new
The Common Security and Defence Policy: national perspectives
When one looks at the present state of the CSDP, one cannot help but look on with disenchantment”, states Pierre Vimont in his foreword to this collective Egmont Paper, edited […]