Conference report by Hartmut Bühl, Publisher, Paris The 21st Berlin Security Conference (BSC), which took place from 30-31 November 2022 had a very special character. Never before has a BSC been held in wartime in Europe; never before have there been so many high-ranking speakers from the European Union (EU) and NATO countries, and never…
Interview with Stefano Cont, Director Capacity, Armament & Planning (CAP), European Defence Agency, Brussels The European: Director, when you took over your position in April 2022 you declared: “At a time when defence expenditure is expected to increase significantly (…), European cooperation and collaborative capability development will be key to making sure the money is…
Interview with Michael Gahler MEP, European Parliament, Brussels/Strasbourg The European: Mr Gahler, you have been dealing with security and defence issues in the European Parliament since 2004 and have held leading positions both in your party and in Parliament. As a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) and a substitute member of the Subcommittee…
by Prof Dr Angelika Niebler MEP, EuropeanParliament, Brussels/Strasbourg Do you remember the attacks in September 2022 on the Nord Stream gas pipelines that connect Germany and Russia? The four explosions that hit the pipelines were immediately suspected to have been carried out by Russia, as there were already major political tensions after the Russian invasion…
by Jean-Dominique Giuliani, President of the Robert Schuman Foundation, Paris On 7 February, the European External Action Service (EEAS) released its first report on foreign information manipulation and interferences (FIMI), which a 2015 European Council asked it to draft. The European Parliament has set up a Committee of Inquiry on the same subject, as have…
by Dr Roberto Viola, Director General, DG CNECT, European Commission, Brussels As the digital and the physical worlds are converging more and more, it is of utmost importance to enhance cybersecurity. Cyberattacks know no borders. Therefore, a comprehensive EU approach based on trust, solidarity and mutual assistance is key to fight current and future threats…
by Professor Dr Thomas Jäger, Chair of International Relations and Foreign Policy, Cologne University, Cologne The international order is currently undergoing a geopolitical realignment. While the Unites States (US) and China are fixed as the two centres of the future world order, other powers are also striving for a place as world powers. But the…
by Nick Watts, Vice-President EuroDefense UK, London With the advent of a globalised and digitised world, the cyber threat has become all-pervasive. Unlike any other vector of warfare or terrorism, the cyber threat can reach into the lives of every citizen, and every business. To ensure that European civil society, as well as national security…
by Stefanie Buzmaniuk, Senior Research Fellow, Robert Schuman Foundation, Paris For some months now, the message has been clear in France: the Franco-German couple needs a “couple’s therapy”. The need for more emotions and affirmative reactions from the German side is repeatedly expressed by the French. The German media, on the other hand, have far…
by Gerhard Arnold, Publisher and Middle East correspondent to this magazine, Würzburg Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war on 24 February 2022, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has had an astonishing presence on the international and regional political stage. If one wants to adequately understand the Turkish leader’s increase in foreign policy prestige…