Summits and Sanctions, War and Peace: Is the EU Still in the Game?
As I set out for Beijing in early July, to teach my annual summer course on grand strategy and great powers, I knew in advance what all my Chinese interlocutors […]
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
The European Ocean Pact: Laying the Groundwork for an “Ocean Union”?
The European Ocean Pact, adopted by the European Commission in June 2025 and presented at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, is the most comprehensive EU initiative on ocean […]
BRICS+: an Odd Family of (un)Likely Frenemies
On June 13, 2025, the government of Brazil, in its capacity as pro tempore BRICS(+) Chair, announced the formal admission of Vietnam as a partner country of the group. With […]
External publications
Towards a Preparedness Union Strategy? Show us the money!
The 2024-2029 Strategic Agenda which the European Council adopted at its meeting of 27 June 2024 harks back to a wish outlined in the conclusions of a number of previous […]
External publications
Guardians of the Broken Order
As the world drifts into disorder, the foundations of global cooperation are eroding. The rules-based international order – once anchored in robust multilateral institutions and US leadership – is under […]
Moldova’s EU Path: Between Moscow’s Shadow and Brussels’ Promises
In the ongoing confrontation between the European Union and Russia, the Republic of Moldova occupies a critical—though often overlooked—position. While not as militarily pivotal as Ukraine, Moldova’s struggle is no […]