Sven Biscop
Biography
(For Sven’s biography, please visit his personal staff page)
ANNOUNCEMENT
On 30 September 2025, after three years of dedicated service, the Egmont Institute bid a fond farewell to Honorary Ambassador Pol De Witte. As Director-General, he successfully guided us through the turbulent years of inflation and all who met him, inside and outside the institute, were touched by his warmth and sincerity.
On 1 October 2025, Prof. Dr. Sven Biscop took over as acting Director-General of Egmont. At the same time, a review of our governance and functioning began: an opportunity to strengthen Egmont’s position. Sven will remain as acting Director-General until such time as the review leads to decisions on our future leadership and structures.
Sven is the longest serving member of staff: he joined Egmont in 2002, as a freshly minted doctor in political sciences. He is keen to lead Egmont, in a collegial way, through the review period, and help ensure that the Institute will gain even more prominence as an opinion leader on international relations.
Publications
- Summits and Sanctions, War and Peace: Is the EU Still in the Game? Security Policy Briefs
- Don’t Join the NATO Summit Without Knowing Who You Are Commentaries
- NATO: The Damage Is Done – So Think Big Security Policy Briefs
- How the EU can support Europe’s NATO External publications
- Disgrace in Washington, Decisions in London Commentaries
- Trump’s Europe Policy: No longer Different from Russia and China? Commentaries
- Ukraine Now Needs a European Security Guarantee – Not a Peace Operation Commentaries
- 2025: Is Europe Ready for the Old Normal? Commentaries
- EU Strategy 2025-2029: We Have the Instruments, Now Set the Objectives Security Policy Briefs
- Ukraine: Europe Refused to Think, Now Trump Will Act Commentaries
- No End in Sight? The West, China, and the Russo-Ukrainian War Security Policy Briefs
- The Coffee Machine Commentaries
- Not Another Geopolitical Commission, Please! Commentaries
- This Is Not a New World Order – Europe Rediscovers Geopolitics, from Ukraine to Taiwan Books
- PESCO: The Last Chance Security Policy Briefs
- If Russia “Protects” Transnistria, Will the EU Defend Moldova? And Georgia? Commentaries
- The EU and the Red Sea: Now This Is Geopolitics Commentaries
- Keeping it Together? Realpolitik and Solidarity in a Multipolar World External publications
- “Cannon to Right of Them, Cannon to Left of Them”: Coping with War Around Europe Commentaries
- My Summer in Beijing Security Policy Briefs
- European Defence in a New Geopolitical Environment Commentaries
- War for Ukraine and the Rediscovery of Geopolitics: Must the EU Draw New Battlelines or Keep an Open Door? Egmont papers
- EU-China: we have to talk about (not Macron but) strategy Commentaries
- Ukraine: The Price of China’s Neutrality Commentaries
- From Buffer to Frontier: Ukraine and the EU Security Policy Briefs
- Visit Taiwan! Commentaries
- European Defence: The Full Package Commentaries
- Biden’s National Security Strategy: Three Important Truths for Europe Commentaries
- The EU and Ukraine: Strategy and Morality Commentaries
- Xi Jinping Seeks Stability: The 20th National Congress of the CCP Security Policy Briefs
- Imperial Preference Security Policy Briefs
- Military Offensives, Hybrid Attacks – And No Peace in Sight Commentaries
- The New Force Model: NATO’s European Army? Security Policy Briefs
- The growing pains of Belgium’s armed forces Commentaries
- How the War in Ukraine Shapes the Multipolar World Commentaries
- War Aims Commentaries
- The World Order Holds – For Now Commentaries
- Tanks versus Banks: Russian Military versus EU Geoeconomic Power Security Policy Briefs
- A European Defence Summit in May 2022: From Compass to Capabilities Security Policy Briefs
- Putin Is Creating the Multipolar World He (Thought He) Wanted Security Policy Briefs
- Russia Invades Ukraine: The Dangerous Weakness of a Military Superpower Commentaries
- Is Putin Winning, or Is He Trying not to Lose? Security Policy Briefs
- Strategic autonomy: Not without integration External publications
- Ukraine: The Price of Stability Commentaries
- Kill the Battlegroups Commentaries
- Come on, Biden, Let’s Talk! Commentaries
- AUKUS and the EU: A Snub for the Bloc? Commentaries
- The Strategic Compass: Entering the Fray Security Policy Briefs
- EU strategy: Resolutely moderate External publications
- Afghanistan: The End of a Strategic Distraction Commentaries
- Belgian Defence: Put your trust in people Commentaries
- Update of the Strategic Vision 2030: Recommendations External publications
- The Strategic Committee on Belgian Defence: How to Read the Report Commentaries
- Biden and Europe, values and interests Commentaries
- Grand Strategy in 10 words – A Guide to Great Power Politics in the 21st Century Books
- World politics in 2021: Infected by rivalry Commentaries
- Biden’s Visit: Five Must-Do’s in Brussels Commentaries
- Analysing the EU Global Strategy on foreign and security policy External publications
- The EU and China: sanctions, signals, and interests Security Policy Briefs
- European Foreign Policy in times of Covid-19, a conversation with HRVP Josep Borrell organised by Groupe d’études géopolitiques External publications
- Crying wolf will not help Taiwan Commentaries
- What Belgium Can Do: Proposals for the National Security Strategy Security Policy Briefs
- The Lonely Strategist: Who but the High Representative and the EEAS Cares About the EU Global Strategy? External publications
- Biden, NATO and the EU: Who Deals With China, and Who With Russia? Commentaries
- EU and NATO Strategy: A Compass, a Concept, and a Concordat Security Policy Briefs
- No peace from corona: defining EU strategy for the 2020s External publications
- The Capitol and the Reichstag Commentaries
- EU-China: Drop the Masks, Back to Real Diplomacy Commentaries
- Biden’s World? Views from the United States, China, Russia and the European Union Security Policy Briefs
- The European Security and Defence College: a tool for strategy-making External publications
- Biden’s victory and Europe’s strategic autonomy Commentaries
- Can corona cure our superiority complex? Commentaries
- Act as if it does not matter who wins Commentaries
- Battalions to brigades: the future of European defence External publications
- The future of the Transatlantic Alliance: not without the European Union External publications
- Use connectivity to strengthen multilateral cooperation in the EU’s neighbourhood Commentaries
- An Alliance of Democracies: with the US or for the US? Commentaries
- In the desert or at sea? Securing Europe’s Southern flank External publications
- For multilateralism to work, there must be consensus on what it is supposed to do, and can realistically achieve External publications
- Weaker together or weaker apart? Great power relations after the coronavirus External publications
- Give us the real PESCO, please! Commentaries
- The Belt and Road Initiative. Foreword: Connectivity with Consent Commentaries
- European Defence and PESCO: don’t waste the chance External publications
- Victory in Europe: Remember, to Act Commentaries
- Defence against the Coronavirus, or the Soldier and the Welfare State Commentaries
- Take me to Your Leader! Or how the EU could emerge stronger from the Corona Crisis Commentaries
- Coronavirus and Power: the impact on international politics Security Policy Briefs
- How will the coronavirus epidemic impact the European Union? Commentaries
- Trump, the Middle East, and North Africa: just leave things to the proxies? Security Policy Briefs
- What the Coronavirus will not change Commentaries
- European defence: Small states thinking big Commentaries
- A Political Diagnosis of the Coronavirus Commentaries
- Strategic Choices for the 2020s Security Policy Briefs
- From Global Strategy to Strategic Compass: Where Is the EU Heading? Security Policy Briefs
- Putting the Core at the Centre. The Crisis Response Operation Core (CROC) and the Future of PESCO Security Policy Briefs
- EU-U.S. Consensus and NATO-EU Cooperation External publications
- NATO: Life after (Brain) Death Commentaries
- The Brexit Circus, the Hungarian Arena, and the Great Power Game Commentaries
- The EU or NATO: That is not the question External publications
- Turkey and Syria: absent a European strategy, blame Trump Commentaries
- Connectivity with Consent: The EU in Eurasia Commentaries
- A geopolitical European Commission: a powerful strategy? Commentaries
- A geopolitical Commission needs power: not to confront, but to engage Commentaries
- A geopolitical Commission: a powerful strategy? Commentaries
- The power to engage: Giving punch to a new EU Global Strategy 2020 Security Policy Briefs
- The puzzle of the EU’s China strategy is falling into place Commentaries
- Two elephants in one room: Sino-American competition and the EU at the Shangri-La Dialogue Commentaries
- A defence strategy alone is not enough Commentaries
- Europe must not choose sides in a conflict between the United States and China Commentaries
- The EU Global Strategy 2020 Security Policy Briefs
- The EU, the US and China: a middle way to approach the Middle Kingdom Commentaries
- Fighting for Europe. European strategic autonomy and the use of force Egmont papers
- 1919-2019: How to Make Peace Last? European Strategy and the Future of the World Order Security Policy Briefs
- As Great Power Rivalry has returned, Europe could establish a Stable World Order Commentaries
- European Strategy in the 21st Century. New Future for Old Power Books
- Europe: a superpower without power politics External publications
- EU-NATO relations: A long-term perspective External publications
- Don’t be too shy about PESCO Commentaries
- “Stand firm and hold the handrail”: A Traveller’s impressions of a summer of summitry Security Policy Briefs
- Letting Europe go its own way External publications
- The EU and multilateralism in an age of Great Powers External publications
- European defence: give PESCO a chance External publications
- Trump and the triumph of unreason Commentaries
- The dangerous geopolitics of Populism, and what NATO and the EU can do about it Security Policy Briefs
- Will Trump’s decision on Iran end Europe’s servility? Commentaries
- L’Europe de la défense : donnons une chance à « PESCO » External publications
- PESCO: Good News for NATO from the EU Commentaries
- Brexit, Strategy, and the EU: Britain takes leave Egmont papers
- The Great Powers have their ways Security Policy Briefs
- Military factors in the MENA Region: Challenging trends External publications
- The EU Global Strategy: Implications for Russia External publications
- European Defence: What’s in the CARDs for PESCO? Security Policy Briefs
- Strategic Autonomy and the Defence of Europe. Country Study: Belgium External publications
- Trump First Commentaries
- Europe’s “Maginato” Complex Commentaries
- Two-Speed Europe: Yes, But Commentaries
- Europe and the great powers: playing our Trump cards Security Policy Briefs
- How the EU can save NATO Security Policy Briefs
- An appeal to the moderate Trump Commentaries
- Yes, NATO is obsolete Commentaries
- Oratio pro PESCO Egmont papers
- A strategy for Europe’s neighbourhood: keep resilient and carry on? External publications
- European defence after Brexit: Flying on one engine? Commentaries
- Optimism and rearmament Commentaries
- Debate: What are the real prospects for strengthened European defence? External publications
- IS-held territory will be reconquered – and then? Commentaries
- Has Trump reshuffled the cards for Europe? Security Policy Briefs
- Construct European Defence in Brussels Commentaries
- After the EU Global Strategy – Consulting the experts – Security and defence External publications
- All or Nothing? The EU Global Strategy and Defence Policy after the Brexit External publications
- The EU Global Strategy and Defence: The challenge of thinking strategically about means Security Policy Briefs
- Spearheading European defence External publications
- Migration – How CSDP can support External publications
- An ambitious defence follow-up for an ambitious EUGS External publications
- All or nothing? European and British strategic autonomy after the Brexit Egmont papers
- Writings on NATO: One for the Fiction Department Commentaries
- The EU Global Strategy: realpolitik with European characteristics Security Policy Briefs
- Belgium and its foreign and external policies (2010-15) Studia Diplomatica
- Envisioning European defence. Five futures External publications
- An act of war against Belgium calls for national unity Commentaries
- Staying Belgian, investing in Europe Commentaries
- Geopolitics with European characteristics: An essay on pragmatic idealism, equality, and strategy Egmont papers
- A Belgian contribution to an operation in Libya? Commentaries
- The future of the European Neighbourhood Policy Studia Diplomatica
- EU Global Strategy – Expert Opinion No. 4 Commentaries
- Brexit and defence: where is the strategy? Commentaries
- Defence does not get that much more Commentaries
- Can European strategy cope? Commentaries
- An anchor for the EU maritime security strategy Commentaries
- Out of the blue: a white book Commentaries
- EU mutual assistance is more than defence Commentaries
- European Strategy, European Defence and the CSDP External publications
- Escalate the diplomatic offensive in the war against Islamic State Commentaries
- Defence: Belgium is not a small country Commentaries
- Putin is not such a brillant strategist Commentaries
- Global and operational: a new strategy for EU Foreign and Security Policy External publications
- European strategy External publications
- The state of defence in Europe: dependence, deterrence and deployment External publications
- Shangri La Dialogue 2015: Europe was there Commentaries
- Hybrid Hysteria Security Policy Briefs
- Rather no government of technocrats Commentaries
- Half a grand strategy is not enough Commentaries
- Letter from Brussels Commentaries
- Strategy: what is it good for? Commentaries
- A Belgian army for European defence Commentaries
- CSDP: what is it good for? Commentaries
- Bad theatre Commentaries
- Thou shalt not arm those who cannot win Commentaries
- The Belgian army: soon to be a gendarmerie? Commentaries
- Get rid of reassurance Commentaries
- Still on the defensive: European military integration in 2015 External publications
- 2014: a centenary and a discovery Security Policy Briefs
- Belgium and the miracle of European defence Commentaries
- EU Foreign Policy between the revolution and the status quo External publications
- Remember the revolution: an agenda for EU foreign policy Commentaries
- Mogherini in the European Parliament: a strategic moment Commentaries
- The prima donnas of EU foreign policy Commentaries
- Winter is coming – will spring follow? Ukraine and the future of EU-Russia relations Commentaries
- Save us from Ashton-bis Commentaries
- Replacing the Belgian F16s is but a logical decision Commentaries
- Belgian Foreign Policy: in search of a new course Commentaries
- Am I an academic? Commentaries
- Iraq: Europe’s problem too Commentaries
- Game of zones. The quest for influence in Europe’s neighbourhood Egmont papers
- Social Europe, a strategic matter Commentaries
- Big manoeuvres in eastern Europe Commentaries
- Building European defence: an architect and a bank Security Policy Briefs
- No more schisms in the holy alliance Commentaries
- The summit of our ambition? European defence between Brussels and Wales Security Policy Briefs
- A way out of the Ukraine crisis: Munich or Algeciras? Commentaries
- Ukraine: the charge of the diplomatic brigade Commentaries
- And what will we do? Towards a European military strategy External publications
- Strategy and social security Commentaries
- Defence: The European Council matters Security Policy Briefs
- Security post-2014: what role for the EU and NATO? External publications
- The European Council and defence: the state of our ambition External publications
- A bipolar alliance for a multipolar world External publications
- State of defence in Europe: state of emergency? Egmont papers
- Europe and the world or snow white and the seven fallacies Egmont papers
- Peace without money, war without Americans: challenges for European strategy External publications
- The ‘Arab Spring’: winter of our discontent? Commentaries
- Post-interventionist or new responsible? Europe as a security provider External publications
- Sven Biscop contributed the country chapter Belgium in Strategic cultures in Europe External publications
- Sécurité internationale: que fera l’Europe? External publications
- Europe and the Arab Spring: four seasons in one day Commentaries
- And what will Europe do? The European Council and military strategy Security Policy Briefs
- Defense: and what will Europe do? Commentaries
- After the crisis: some thoughts on a global EU – or how to turn a crisis into regeneration External publications
- The Future of the Benelux Defence Cooperation External publications
- Pool it, share it, use it: the European Council on defense Security Policy Briefs
- Mali: another European intervention without the EU? Security Policy Briefs
- Raiders of the lost art: strategy-making in Europe Security Policy Briefs
- The UK and European Defence: leading or leaving? External publications
- Permanent structured cooperation light: less formal, not less necessary External publications
- Military capabilities: from pooling & sharing to a permanent and structured approach Security Policy Briefs
- Routledge Handbook of European Security Books
- EU grand strategy: optimism is mandatory Security Policy Briefs
- Smart pooling for shared defence External publications
- Conclusion: from global disorder to an effective multilateral order: an agenda for the EU External publications
- The EU and emerging powers in the 21st century: how Europe can shape a new global order Books
- On to Chicago: Enter the European Union Commentaries
- Why America needs European Strategy Commentaries
- As the EU said at the NATO Summit Security Policy Briefs
- The Euro crisis and foreign Policy: Europe has an idea Commentaries
- An Arab springboard for EU foreign policy? Egmont papers
- Belgian defence policy: the fight goes on Security Policy Briefs
- CSDP: the strategic perspective External publications
- Foreign policy and the euro: we have an idea Security Policy Briefs
- A new External Action Service needs a new European security strategy Security Policy Briefs
- Ends, Means, and Meaning Commentaries
- Europe, strategy and armed forces – The making of a distinctive power Books
- Europe deploys towards a civil-military strategy for CSDP Egmont papers
- Pooling & sharing: from slow march to quick march? Security Policy Briefs
- A long term-strategy for Libya and the Mediterranean: over to the European Union Commentaries
- Van Lissabon tot Lissabon: het debat over EU-Navo draait nog een rondje External publications
- Mayhem in the Mediterranean: three strategic lessons for Europe Security Policy Briefs
- Global Europe: an emerging strategic actor External publications
- A long-term strategy for Libya and the Mediterranean: over to the European Union Security Policy Briefs
- The strategic union: rising to the multipolar challenge External publications
- From Lisbon to Lisbon: squaring the circle of EU and NATO future roles Security Policy Briefs
- The EU, NATO and military capabilities: coordinating windmills External publications
- A strategy for CSDP. Europe’s ambitions as a global security provider Egmont papers
- The strategic effect of European Union operations Commentaries
- Permanent structured cooperation in defence: building effective European armed forces External publications
- European studies discovers strategy Commentaries
- The Old World’s importance to the new world order Commentaries
- Permanent structured cooperation. In defence of the obvious Commentaries
- Europa: strategie voor een wereldmacht Books
- Permanent structured cooperation in defense of the obvious Security Policy Briefs
- NSS Review: Europe given short shrift Commentaries
- The ENP, security and democracy in the context of the European security strategy External publications
- The first CSDP handbook published under the auspices of the European Security and Defence College (ESDC) and the Austrian Ministry of Defence External publications
- The European Union as a security actor: cooperative multilateralism External publications
- 2010: en toen werd de EU een grootmacht? External publications
- Permanent structured cooperation for effective European armed forces Security Policy Briefs
- Key partners and shared interests. The European convoy needs strategic guidance for fleet action Commentaries
- Of Greeks and Romans: the EU, US and security strategy in a multipolar world External publications
- The United States, NATO and the European Union: partnership in the balance External publications
- From ESDP to CSDP : Time for some Strategy Commentaries
- A need for strategy in a multipolar world: recommendations to the EU after Lisbon Security Policy Briefs
- Un Haut Représentant a besoin d’une Grande Stratégie Commentaries
- A High Representative needs a grand strategy Commentaries
- The value of power, the power of values: a call for an EU grand strategy Egmont papers
- Strategisch partnerschap tussen de EU en de BRICs: waar is de strategie? External publications
- The EU’s strategic partnerships with the BRIC: where’s the strategy External publications
- EU’s strategic partnerships lack content Commentaries
- Time for a European Union grand strategy Commentaries
- Belgium in the UN Security Council. Reflections on the 2007-2008 membership Books
- A shared security strategy for a Euro-Atlantic partnership of equals External publications
- Préparer le sommet de l’OTAN: d’alliés à partenaires Commentaries
- Hoog tijd voor meer Europa in de Navo Commentaries
- A future agenda for the European security and defence policy External publications
- Preparing for the NATO Summit: From Allies to Partners Commentaries
- Europe: A time for strategy Egmont papers
- Quel est le but de notre engagement en Afghanistan? Commentaries
- Permanent structured cooperation and the future of ESDP: transformation and integration External publications
- Navo moet missie in Afghanistan herbekijken Commentaries
- The Lisbon treaty and ESDP: transformation and integration Egmont papers
- Permanent structured cooperation and the future of ESDP Egmont papers
- De oranje knipperlichten van ons leger Commentaries
- La Stratégie européenne de sécurité : mettre en oeuvre l’approche holistique External publications
- EU and China: partners in effective multilateralism External publications
- A defining commitment for the EU: preventing (even more) conflict in the middle east External publications
- The ABC of European Union strategy: ambition, benchmark, culture Egmont papers
- The EU and the European Security Strategy. Forging a global Europe Books
- Europa en het Midden-Oosten: tijd voor leiderschap – naast of tegenover de Verenigde Staten External publications
- Europa moet meer leiderschap tonen Commentaries
- For a ‘more active’ EU in the Middle East. Transatlantic relations and the strategic implications of Europe’s engagement with Iran, Lebanon and Israel-Palestine Egmont papers
- The Democratic Republic of Congo and the evolution of ESD External publications
- Europe and the Middle East: time to resume leadership – including towards the US External publications
- The international security engagement of the European Union – Courage and capabilities for a more active EU report from the 1P stP European Strategic Forum, Warsaw 2006 External publications
- De Europese veiligheidsstrategie twee jaar later. Eerste balans van een integratieproject External publications
- Effective multilateralism and collective security: empowering the UN External publications
- The Ambiguous Ambition. The Development of the EU Security Architecture External publications
- Strategy or stratagem? The European Security Strategy in perspective External publications
- NATO, ESDP and the RIGA summit: no transformation without re-equilibration Egmont papers
- The EU and China: partners in effective multilateralism? External publications
- De verantwoordelijkheid tot bescherming: een argument voor humanitaire interventie Commentaries
- The EU, the OSCE and the European security architecture: network or labyrinth? External publications
- The European Security Strategy. A global agenda for positive power Books
- Vol. LVIII: Issue 2 (2005): Power to the system. The UN High-Level panel and the reinvigoration of collective security. Conference proceedings Studia Diplomatica
- Europe Must Battle for the ‘Public Goods Commentaries
- E Pluribus Unum? Military integration in the European Union Egmont papers
- The European Security Strategy and the neighbourhood policy: a new starting point for a Euro-Mediterranean security partnership? External publications
- Effective multilateralism and collective security: empowering the UN External publications
- An audit of European strategy Egmont papers
- Able and willing? Assessing the EU’s capacity for military action External publications
- A European security concept for the 21st century, a Belgian contribution to a comprehensive EU security strategy Egmont papers
- The European security strategy. Implementing a distinctive approach to security External publications
- The European Security Strategy and the neighbourhood policy: A new starting point for a Euro-Mediterranean security partnership? External publications
- The world is the stage: a global security strategy for the European Union External publications
- Een veilig Europa in een betere wereld: niet zonder een militaire arm Commentaries
- Staying on Course ? the Quadrilateral Defence Summit and the European Security and Defence Policy in the wake of ‘9/11’ and Iraq External publications
- Rebellen in de NAVO, voortrekkers in de EU? Een post-Irak regime voor het veiligheids- en defensiebeleid External publications
- Vol. LV, Issue 3 (2002): Core Group, Directoire, enhanced co-operation? Finding the key to an effective foreign and defence policy for Europe Studia Diplomatica