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.
External publications
In many NATO capitals, the policy debate on nuclear deterrence is intensifying. This is no surprise. The nuclear saber-rattling that has accompanied Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine has offered Western […]
Europe’s defence architecture is becoming increasingly complex precisely at the moment when greater coherence is most needed. The amount of new minilateral defence frameworks established and developed in the last […]
In June 2022, a few months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Council granted to Ukraine and Moldova candidate status hastily. Western Balkans countries, notably Albania and North […]
Commentaries
Russia’s hybrid campaign is testing Europe’s ability to remain united under pressure. This matters beyond the grey zone: how Europeans respond today will shape Moscow’s expectations of whether Europe will […]
Commentaries
It is an honor to join the Egmont Institute at this moment in time. We live in what some call a ‘geopolitical era’, and this makes the Institute into a […]
From 2013 to 2023, the European Union was a key player in Sahel security. This crisis-ridden region was chosen as a testing ground for a new comprehensive European approach, mobilising […]