Commentaries
A way out of the Ukraine crisis: Munich or Algeciras?
The comparison with the 1938 Munich agreement comes easily to many people. Hitler was given a free hand in Czechoslovakia in the hope that his hunger for territory would thus […]
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
The role of the European Union in the world
Despite the hopes raised by the most recent Treaties, the Lisbon Treaty in particular, the European Union has been unable to strengthen, let alone develop its role on the international […]
Studia Diplomatica
Vol. LXVI, Issue 2 (2013): A strategic anniversary: The European security strategy
Introduction, A strategic anniversary, by Sven Biscop Articles “The good, the bad and the ugly”, three visions for European defence beyond austerity, by Giovanni Faleg and Manuel Muniz How security strategies […]
Commentaries
Ukraine: the charge of the diplomatic brigade
Rather than its adroitness, the Ukrainian crisis highlights the failure of Russian strategy. Published in European Geostrategy, 06 March 2014.
External publications
And what will we do? Towards a European military strategy
Important decisions on Europe’s military capabilities are expected from the December 2013 European Council. But why? What do Europeans actually want to do with their capabilities? The answer to that […]
The EU and its strategic partners
Herman Van Rompuy, José Manuel Barroso and Catherine Ashton have each identified strategic partnerships as a priority axis for their mandate, and most Member States agreed it should top the […]