Section: Europe’s World (Belgium)
Explaining Germany’s contradiction: Energy Union and Nord Stream 2
The construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany has become one of the most controversial topics in European energy policy. For a majority of European policymakers and analysts, it seems hard to understand how Angela Merkel’s government can back the creation of a more secure Energy Union and a seemingly...
Russia, between fear and defiance
As I arrived in Moscow this month, the talk of town was the BBC’s hypothetical drama ‘World War Three: Inside the War Room’, which had dismayed the Russian public. Everyone I spoke to believed that the film was intended to rally public support in Europe for a war against Russia. I of course protested, but when I heard in response:...
Don’t be fooled: Joining NATO doesn’t mean Montenegro has changed
Montenegro’s NATO membership has been in the pipeline for years. But only in the past few months, since Montenegro adopted tough EU-led sanctions against Russia over Ukraine, has Russia raised concerns. Though the government in Podgorica has maintained that its move is in no way “expressing an anti-Russian mood”, Moscow called the final...
Threats to the Paris accord
The deal on climate change, concluded on December 2015 in the UN Climate Conference in Paris, can justifiably be described as a game-changer or, in U.S. President Barack Obama’s words, humanity’s “best chance to save the planet”. 195 countries – including the U.S. and China which account for 35% of greenhouse emissions – managed,...
Arranging the European symphony
Most university seminars on the European Union begin with a seemingly simple, yet in truth remarkably complex exercise: defining Europe. Some answers can be quite creative, ranging from definitions based on who partakes in the Eurovision Song Contest to geographic, cultural, as well as political definitions. Very clearly, Europe means different...
The EU needs a message people can get behind
A new political message is urgently needed for the EU, and it must be more political and less technocratic than before. Fiscal compacts and banking unions are much needed, but are insufficient to explain the EU’s raison d’etre to the general public. New opportunities such as the Internet of Things could affect the economies of member...
The refugee crisis is the Visegrad Group’s moment of truth
Not many people in Europe are aware of the Visegrad Group (V4), the Central European platform for co-operation between the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary that has existed for over 20 years. The Czech Republic acceded to the year-long V4 presidency, taking over from Slovakia, on 1st July and due to external circumstances can expect a...
Nordic defence cooperation: NATO or a dead-end
In its New Year forecast for 2015, The Economist said “optimism is in short supply”. It was hard to disagree then, and it still is. Escalating conflicts are causing great suffering, and the reality of increased geopolitical risk is challenging international security policies. Few observers have predicted the course of events that have unfolded....
It’s the war in Syria, stupid!
Aylan Kurdi had been about the same age as my youngest son, Nicholas. In theory, both children were born entitled to the same basic rights to life, protection, food, shelter, education and play. But we as the international community tragically failed Aylan. Even more importantly, there are still millions of other children and adults in similar...
Europe’s populists: A present and rising danger
Although there is a strong element of grievance in the politics of populism, one factor which is common to almost all of the continent’s populist parties is an anti-EU sentiment. It is the degree of this – and fundamentally its effect on governments – which is causing most concern among mainstream parties. A fanciful book, Apocalypse 2000,...
