by Israel Rafalovich, Journalist, Brussels Defence strategists and planners are confronted to a rapidly approaching future with a new war fighting regime where unmanned and autonomous systems play central roles. For politicians and military strategists with tight budgets, robots are popular especially with military interventions in foreign countries becoming less popular. Military experts see robotics…
by Patrick Bellouard, former Président EuroDéfense France, Paris, and Cyrille Schott, Préfet (h) de Région, member of EuroDéfense France, Strasbourg The Franco-German engine is essential for Europe, including in armament cooperation. However, this engine, in the field of defence, stumbles upon difficulties. Different strategic objectives In Germany, the tradition of strategic restraint, coupled with close…
by Dr Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann MdB, member of the Bundestag and the federal board of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), Berlin The model of the German Armed Forces, the Bundeswehr, as a “parliamentary army” has always been viewed on the French side with suspicion, as a factor hampering Franco-German cooperation. Our French friends, accustomed to a…
by Maria Camello, Analyst, and Federico Santopinto, Senior analyst at GRIP*, Brussels In 1951, the coal and steel industries were still the lifeblood of the war. The idea of entrusting the administration of this strategic sector of the European nations’ economy to a supranational entity did not seem at all realistic at the time. When…
by Vice Admiral Hervé Bléjean, Director General European Union Military Staff /Director Military Planning and Conduct Capability, Brussels The security situation faced by Europeans today can be increasingly characterised by evolving threats, complexity and uncertainty. On a global scale, contested norms, strategic competition, climate change, terrorist, cyber and hybrid threats can potentially increase instability and…
by Sorin Ducaru, Director of the European Union Satellite Centre (SatCen), Madrid With nearly 30 years since its foundation, the EU Satellite Centre (SatCen) has established itself as the prime provider of geospatial intelligence analysis for EU external action. The Centre in Torrejon near Madrid supports the collective decision making in Common Foreign and Security…
by Panagiotis Nikas, Founding Director of ZEUXIS, Athens On 28th July, we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Geneva Refugee Convention (the Convention). Its core concept is the protection of every human being who fears persecution because of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. Non-refoulement is a legal obligation…
by François Thomas, President of SOS MEDITERRANEE France, Marseille has been the president of SOS MEDITERRANEE France since June 2019. He holds a master’s degree in international transport and is a certified captain and chief engineer in the French Merchant Navy. Acting as marine consultant, he has spent over 40 years in the maritime sector,…
by Andrea Quaden, humanitarian aid worker, Syria I have been working to the best of my abilities with and for the displaced children, women and men of this world for more than a decade now. From Germany to Turkey and Syria to Iraq, the Mediterranean Sea and back to Syria. There is one ultimate truth in…
by Fabrice Leggeri, Executive Director of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Warsaw Over the last five years Frontex has become one of the most dynamic EU agencies. The scale and speed of Frontex growth has no precedent. When the agency started to operate in 2005, its budget was of just €6m with about…