Russia’s Hybrid Wars Come to Sudan
Russia, and Wagner, unlike Europe, have skin in the Sudan game. So do Turkey, Egypt, and the Gulf States. If this is not enough for Europe to take a much […]
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
Commentaries
De-risking de-cyphered
Disgruntled with the deteriorating Sino-Soviet relationship, Mao was never shy of humiliating his Soviet counterparts. In an audacious power move, Chairman Mao, himself an avid swimmer, organised a meeting with […]
Commentaries
New technologies, new threats, new budgets
Generative AI today, and Quantum Computing tomorrow, pose new geopolitical realities and threats, some of which are already known. Mass de-encryption of data will be one of the threats posed […]
Commentaries
EU-China: we have to talk about (not Macron but) strategy
Most people don’t like to hear inconvenient truths, especially not, it seems, from the President of France. Yet when Macron says that the European Union should become the third pole, […]
The CRM Act in a global perspective
Minerals are essential building blocks for clean energy technologies. As the renewable energy industry will grow, demand for minerals will increase accordingly. A 2020 World Bank Report found that the […]
Commentaries
Why Belgium Should Create a Territorial Reserve Force
One of the lessons from the war between Russia and Ukraine is the importance of societal resilience and resistance. Since Russia started its invasion on 24 February 2022, Ukraine’s Territorial […]