Commentaries
Foreign Fighters and the Terrorist Threat in Belgium
For a few years, the return of experienced jihadi fighters from the Levant was perceived as the main threat to Belgium. With hindsight, the 2016 Brussels attacks were the last […]
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
Regionalisation of Transitional Justice Frameworks in Africa and Europe
In this blog post, Valerie Arnould, compares and contrasts the transitional justice policy frameworks adopted by the African Union and the European Union. Alongisde the elements of converge, she highlights the […]
From Global Strategy to Strategic Compass: Where Is the EU Heading?
Does the EU need a “Strategic Compass” to guide the implementation of the security and defence dimension of the European Union Global Strategy (EUGS)? Does it need a military strategy […]
Returnees in the Maghreb. A European perspective
More than 10,000 individuals travelled from Europe and North Africa to fight in Syria and Iraq. Now, Europe and North Africa are dealing with the challenge of returning foreign fighters, […]
The 2019 UK General Election: towards a Brexit catharsis?
On 12 December 2019, UK voters confront another choice whether to advance Brexit or not. More than three years after the referendum, all issues have been scrutinized and the collective […]
Putting the Core at the Centre. The Crisis Response Operation Core (CROC) and the Future of PESCO
The reader who cannot readily identify the meaning of CROC (Croque Monsieur? Croque Madame?) in the context of European defence can be forgiven. The flurry of activity in the EU’s […]