Commentaries
If the EU is Trump’s Foe, the EU should address Trumpism within Europe
Much is being made of the recent claim of the President of the United States that the European Union is “a foe”. The great paradox is that this statement is […]
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
Children in the Levant: Insights from Belgium on the dilemmas of repatriation and the challenges of reintegration
According to intelligence estimates, there are around 1,400 European children in Syria and Iraq, many of them born there. The fate of these children confronts European governments with moral, legal, […]
External publications
Letting Europe go its own way
The Trump administration seems to believe that allies are meant to pay and obey. When it comes to Europe, this may pose a problem. During the Cold War, what was […]
External publications
The EU and multilateralism in an age of Great Powers
Try to imagine a major issue in world politics today that could be settled (whether peacefully or forcefully) by a single power: one cannot. It’s the interplay between at least […]
External publications
A Benelux perspective on Britain’s vote to leave
The Brexit debate in the UK focuses almost exclusively on the UK’s own position within the European Union and largely ignores the reaction and opinion of the other 27 member states. The UK’s […]
External publications
Which role for the Benelux post-Brexit?
The imminent departure of the UK and its multifarious consequences on the EU-27 have triggered substantial debate about the future of the European Union. In this context, the Netherlands are […]