Commentaries
Yes, NATO is obsolete
An Alliance whose credibility mostly depends on a single member cannot be maintained. Only an autonomous Europe can define its interests and choose with whom it can cooperate to defend […]
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
Europe’s post-Brexit retrenchment
After many years of British advocacy of an outward-oriented EU, the prospect of Brexit threatens to leave the continent more introspective and less engaged in world affairs than ever before. […]
Oratio pro PESCO
Everybody is talking about Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) – will we finally do it now? And will we get it right? For if PESCO is activated only to launch initiatives […]
External publications
A strategy for Europe’s neighbourhood: keep resilient and carry on?
While external and regional powers are engaged in fierce geopolitical competition in Europe’s neighbourhood, the EU itself wants to focus on building up the resilience of its neighbours. Not only […]
Commentaries
European defence after Brexit: Flying on one engine?
Come midnight on the eve of Brexit, British tanks will not turn into pumpkins, nor battleships into watermelons. But will Britain still play an active role in security and defence […]
Commentaries
Optimism and rearmament
At the start of the new year, Sven Biscop desperately tries to remain optimistic. This article also appeared in a Dutch version in De Morgen on 27 December 2016.