Europe’s “new” jihad: Homegrown, leaderless, virtual
Recent terrorist attacks in Europe were committed by homegrown radicals, mostly by loners with limited ties to the Islamic State, if any. Many observers agree that the jihadi threat 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
The blurring of Belgium’s security: deliberate or unintended?
Since January 2015, the Belgian public has grown accustomed to the presence of soldiers in the streets, following terrorist threats and attacks. Their misson has been prolonged each month by […]
External publications
Strategic Autonomy and the Defence of Europe. Country Study: Belgium
in: H.-P. Bartels, A.M. Kellner and U. Optenhögel, eds., Strategic Autonomy and the Defence of Europe: On the Road to a European Army, Bonn: Dietz, pp. 80-89. This book offers insights into […]
New multilateral structures: The rise of an alternative order or more of the same?
With the global governance system becoming increasingly unrepresentative of the changed realities of the twenty-first century, the emerging powers have been all the more proactive in seeking to reshape it. […]
Commentaries
Why the future role of the European Court of Justice is a tricky topic for Brexit
From Day one after Theresa May’s speech to the Tories conference, it was clear that the European Court of Justice (ECJ) would become a tough nut to crack in the […]
European Economic Diplomacy: what role for the EIB?
Led by the European Commission and the European External Action Service, European economic diplomacy is in the making. This exercise requires a strengthened co-ordination not only between the EU and […]