Commentaries
Strategy and social security
It has become a corny cliché, but it is true: the European Union (EU) is a peace project. The only way to avoid that two world wars would be followed […]
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
Confidential partnerships? The EU, its strategic partners and international terrorism
The European Union (EU) has identified terrorism as one of the key threats it faces in both its external and internal security strategies. This paper focuses on the EU’s global […]
Studia Diplomatica
Vol. LXVI, Issue 1 (2013): Global economic governance in East Asia-Through the looking glass of the European sovereign debt crisis
Introduction, Jochen Prantl & Petr Blizkovsky -East Asian Financial Regionalism and the renegotiation of global economic order, Evelyn Goh -China in global Financial governance: Implications from regional leadership Challenge in East Asia, […]
Defence: The European Council matters
Defence matters. This is the opening sentence (probably the shortest ever) of the conclusions of the December 2013 European Council. And that matters too. (Photo credit: Irish Defence Forces, Flickr)
The December European Council on security and defence. The desired outcome. A proposal for a “Memo” for your Head of State/Government
Main Political Message: Defence Matters. It’s about Europe’s place on the world stage and the overall expectation that Member States ought to achieve the autonomy to launch crisis management operations, […]
Commentaries
Coelmont: the desired strategic outcome of the EU Council on defence
Will the EU summit on 19 December 2013 be seen as a milestone in the development of our Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), similar to the St. Malo meeting […]