The EU or NATO: That is not the question
The European security architecture does not resemble a Le Corbusier or Oscar Niemeyer design. It is not a neatly planned whole in which every component elegantly and effectively fulfils a […]
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
Zijn we de greep op terugkeerders kwijt?
Europa kan zijn Syriëgangers niet langer negeren. Een ‘gecontroleerde’ repatriëring lijkt de minst slechte optie, vinden Rik Coolsaet et Thomas Renard. This article was first published in De standaard.
New figures on European nationals detained in Syria and Iraq
In the context of the Turkish military offensive in northern Syria, and the resulting insecurity and instability in the various camps and prisons where ISIS foreign fighters are being held, […]
Commentaries
Losing control over returnees?
Donald Trump’s unexpected decision to abandon the United States’s Kurdish partners as the Turkish military initiated a new offensive in northern Syria will have serious ramifications for how the United States and its partners […]
Commentaries
Turkey and Syria: absent a European strategy, blame Trump
The European Union and its Member States blame US President Donald Trump for withdrawing American troops from Northern Syria, thus paving the way for Turkey to send its armed forces […]
Terrorismes et radicalisations à l’ère post-Daech
Daech tel qu’on l’a connu, n’existe plus. Son projet de création d’un nouveau califat à cheval sur la Syrie et l’Irak a échoué. L’essoufflement de la mobilisation djihadiste qui s’ensuivait […]