Alexander Mattelaer

Biography

Dr Alexander Mattelaer is a Senior Research Fellow at Egmont – the Royal Institute for International Relations – and a Professor in International Security at the VUB Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS). He is currently seconded to the Belgian Ministry of Defence, where he serves as Defence Policy Director.* Earlier he completed visiting stays at Harvard University, the College of Europe, and the Institute for National Strategic Studies of the National Defense University in Washington DC. He also served as chairman of the Scientific Committee of the Royal Higher Institute for Defence, the hub of Belgian defence R&T policy and senior officer education.

(*The views expressed in his writings are solely his own, and do not constitute, nor should be construed as, an endorsement by the Belgian Ministry of Defence.)

Publications

• Making Russia Fear Escalation Again External publications (8-04-2026)
• Transatlantic Uncertainty calls for Greater National Responsibility Commentaries (20-11-2024)
• China’s Nuclear Shadow Reaches Europe External publications (22-10-2024)
• Re-Empowering Belgian Foreign Policy Security Policy Briefs (13-09-2024)
• The Long Shadow? China’s Military Rise in the Indo-Pacific and its Global Implications External publications (28-06-2024)
• A Nuclear Alliance External publications (12-06-2024)
• What Future European Defence and Technological Industrial Basis (EDTIB) Do We Want/Need? The Belgian case External publications (16-01-2024)
• Bleak Prospects for Nuclear Disarmament Security Policy Briefs (30-10-2023)
• Upgrading the Belgian Contribution to NATO’s Collective Defence Security Policy Briefs (6-07-2023)
• What news from the Ukrainian front? A net assessment Commentaries (12-12-2022)
• Why Belgium Needs a Cyber Command Security Policy Briefs (24-11-2022)
• Keeping the OSCE Alive Security Policy Briefs (4-10-2022)
• Is Europe Serious About Defense? External publications (28-06-2022)
• Free rider no more? Belgium and the NATO Madrid Summit Commentaries (27-06-2022)
• Rethinking Nuclear Deterrence: A European Perspective External publications (30-05-2022)
• The Future of the Arctic Region: What is at Stake for Belgium? European Policy Briefs (27-01-2022)
• Time for Europe to stand up to Putin Commentaries (24-01-2022)
• Euro-Atlantic Concerns regarding a US “Sole Purpose” Policy External publications (18-01-2022)
• Nuclear Sharing and NATO as a ‘Nuclear Alliance’ External publications (21-12-2021)
• Readiness as a Mission: Implications for Belgian Defence Security Policy Briefs (7-10-2021)
• Update of the Strategic Vision 2030: Recommendations External publications (30-06-2021)
• De kanarie in de koolmijn van onze nationale veiligheid Commentaries (1-06-2021)
• Back in Fashion? The resurgence of bilateral diplomacy in Europe External publications (7-04-2021)
• Dealing with Russia: Towards a coherent Belgian policy Egmont papers (3-12-2020)
• EU must stand up for jailed Iranian scholar Ahmadreza Djalali Commentaries (1-12-2020)
• The EU’s strategic compass and its four baskets External publications (13-11-2020)
• (Nuclear) sharing is caring. European views on NATO nuclear deterrence and the German nuclear sharing debate External publications (30-06-2020)
• The geographically asymmetric impact of Brexit External publications (17-06-2020)
• Belgium must aim for a strong government Commentaries (2-04-2020)
• The 2019 UK General Election: towards a Brexit catharsis? European Policy Briefs (10-12-2019)
• Articulating the logic of nuclear-sharing Security Policy Briefs (2-10-2019)
• Nuclear weapons in Belgium: calls for disarmament need to consider the impact on national security Commentaries (17-07-2019)
• Fostering Belgo-German connectivity in the heart of Europe European Policy Briefs (29-04-2019)
• The resurgence of bilateral diplomacy in Europe Egmont papers (29-01-2019)
• Endorsing Brexit or preparing for ‘No Deal’? A Belgian perspective European Policy Briefs (29-11-2018)
• Why the F 35 represents a strategic choice for Belgium Commentaries (26-10-2018)
• F-35 best choice for national security strategy Commentaries (26-10-2018)
• Le lien transatlantique, la prospérité de la Belgique et la cohésion européenne : une synthèse Commentaries (25-09-2018)
• De trans-Atlantische relatie, Belgische welvaart en Europese cohesie: een synthese Commentaries (25-09-2018)
• State of the Union Commentary: From political to indispensable Commission? Commentaries (12-09-2018)
• Rediscovering geography in NATO defence planning External publications (30-08-2018)
• If the EU is Trump’s Foe, the EU should address Trumpism within Europe Commentaries (17-07-2018)
• Which role for the Benelux post-Brexit? External publications (18-06-2018)
• Exploring the boundaries of conditionality in the EU European Policy Briefs (14-06-2018)
• Belgian Defence in 2018: Regeneration time? Security Policy Briefs (23-02-2018)
• A strong and united European core External publications (20-12-2017)
• Towards a Belgian position on Brexit: Actively reconciling national and European interests Egmont papers (24-11-2017)
• Integration vs Contestation? Belgian perspectives on the future of Europe Commentaries (30-06-2017)
• Strategic Autonomy and the Defence of Europe. Country Study: Belgium External publications (30-06-2017)
• New Pact for Europe – National Report of Belgium. Belgium and the EU : matching rhetoric and commitment External publications (9-05-2017)
• Sharing the burden of keeping Europe whole, free and at peace External publications (5-05-2017)
• The case for more Europe in the Alliance Commentaries (16-02-2017)
• Brexit as impetus for a new Europe? External publications (6-02-2017)
• Europe’s post-Brexit retrenchment Commentaries (30-01-2017)
• Why Belgium needs a Special Operations Command Security Policy Briefs (6-04-2016)
• Three plus one: a military level of ambition for Europeans Commentaries (13-03-2016)
• A crisis of democratic legitimacy? It’s about legitimation, stupid! European Policy Briefs (14-03-2014)
• State of defence in Europe: state of emergency? Egmont papers (21-11-2013)
• The Sahel crisis: where do European and African perspectives meet? External publications (16-03-2013)
• EUnity of command – The planning and conduct of CSDP operations Egmont papers (25-01-2011)
• Europe rediscovers peacekeeping? Political and military logics in the 2006 UNIFIL enhancement Egmont papers (30-10-2009)