Commentaries
What the Coronavirus will not change
Having now twice spoken to my laptop for an hour and a half, I am quite sure that there is one thing that the corona crisis will not change: when […]
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
Will a European Security Council bring strategic relevance?
How can the EU quickly and effectively take decisions on issues of international security? There’s only one workable option: bring the heads of government together in a European Union Security […]
Commentaries
European defence: Small states thinking big
During the Cold War, the building-bloc of the combined force structure of the NATO allies was the army corps. Even smaller nations such as my country, Belgium, contributed a self-sufficient […]
Commentaries
Foreign Fighters trials in Syria: not a solution
Kurdish forces in Syria recently announced their intention to prosecute foreign fighters in detention, which European governments refuse to repatriate. This option seemingly addresses the fate of these fighters, detained […]
Commentaries
Imagining a geoeconomic European Union
Among the most visible effects to date of the return of Great Power competition has been an increase in trade regulation and state intervention in the economy that is evermore […]
What could a geoeconomic EU look like in 2020?
The need for the EU to respond and position itself in the deepening geoeconomic competition between the Great Powers has initiated a policy reorientation that is slowly attempting to break […]