N°124

Two Years On: Just Transition Fund and Overview of Its Challenges During the Planning Phase, Eda Bülbül

Abstract:

Marking the second year of establishing Just Transition Fund, this policy paper presents the current challenges the Commission and the Member States face while developing Territorial Just Transition Plans.

N°123

The impact of the energy price crisis on vulnerable households: a new test for EU unity, Rachel Guyet

Abstract:

The new energy price crisis has dramatic consequences on vulnerable consumers. It is questioning the ability of the EU to coordinate emergency measures to alleviate the burden of the price hike in the short term but also to better address social justice in the long term within the framework of its decarbonisation policy.

N°122

Values Matter in the EU and in the World, Herman Van Rompuy

Abstract:

Unity. Solidarity. Democracy. European Autonomy. Future.
In his inaugural lecture delivered online on 9 November 2021, Herman Van Rompuy, President Emeritus of the European Council, Belgian Minister of State and President of CIFE, reflects upon some of the core values of the European Union.

N°121

Cold War vs. Global Warming - The two narratives of the 20th century, Hartmut Marhold

N°120

Réflexion sur un retour vers la guerre froide, Henry Cuny

Résumé:

Ancien ambassadeur, écrivain, longtemps praticien des Nations Unies, ayant notamment exercé ses fonctions en URSS et dans les anciens pays de l’Est et celles de Conseiller diplomatique auprès du Chef d’Etat-Major des Armées, Henry Cuny nous livre ci-après sa vision d’un monde qui semble voué au retour inexorable de la guerre froide. Mais celle qui se dessine est d’une nature bien différente de l’époque du rideau de fer. Elle s’est muée en « une guerre des mondes » entre lesquels toute communauté de langage est abolie, tandis que l’idée même de valeurs universelles est en train de sombrer. Plus que jamais après le délirant épisode Donald Trump (qui peut resurgir), l’Union Européenne, malgré ses fragilités et son incomplétude, en apparaît comme le dernier rempart¹.

¹Les autres articles de Henry Cuny dans le cadre de la Revue « Europe et Orient » (à partir du n°25) sont en libre accès notamment sur le site Calameo.

N°119

D'un plan de relance européen à l'autre: ce qui a changé en 10 ans, Laurent Baechler - only in French

Abstract:

The European recovery plans designed in response to the crisis are exempt from the budgetary constraints imposed during the management of the Great Recession a decade ago. The focus is now on supporting European economies "whatever it takes". This radical change of perspective is explained by the recognition that the austerity plans imposed ten years ago were too restrictive, by the evolution of the governance of the euro area, by a different macroeconomic context today than ten years ago, and by the emergence of new concerns in the past period (European populisms, infrastructure needs).

N°118

Alexandre Marc - Un grand philosophe du vingtième siècle doctrinaire de l'Europe fédéraliste, Claude Nigoul - only in French

Abstract:

Alexandre Marc died 20 years ago, at the end of a long life that marked his century. Many people saw him first of all as a militant for a united Europe, for which he was, from the post-war period, involved in all the battles, from the Hague Congress to the battles for the European Defence Community. But he was above all a philosopher, founder of the New Order, the crucible of non-conformist thought in the 1930s. It was there that he laid the foundations of federalist personalism, in which one could find, long before they were popularised, the ideas of European federation, universal income, the principle of subsidiarity, revolutionary ideas of a prophetic doctrine that he taught to generations of students from all countries, gathered in the programmes of the Centre international de formation européenne, of which he was the creator in 1954, and where his thought is perpetuated.

N°117

COVID-19 and lower skilled migrant workers: which lessons for Europe?, Flo Van den Broeck

Abstract:

This paper explores how the COVID-19 crisis exposes the EU’s sectorial approach to labour migration and why it is so important to bring about change. Despite the vital role of the low-skilled migrant workers in this pandemic, their value to our societies seems to be neglected by European policy makers. This paper therefore argues to shift the focus from qualifications and attributed skill levels to more specific roles and occupations, leading to a much more inclusive approach to labour migration.

N°116

EU arms export policy: achievements and current challenges, Kyriakos Revelas

Abstract:

The EU regime for conventional arms exports, with its common criteria and commitments binding on Member States, aims at a responsible arms trade policy contributing to international peace and security; focusing on the case of arms exports to Turkey, the paper argues that national decision-making risks undermining the effectiveness and credibility of this EU policy and presents proposals to remedy the situation.

N°115

Nos technologies propres acquises au prix des minerais de sang des pays en développement, Jean-Marie Rousseau

Abstract - in French only:

Au nom de la transition écologique et de la lutte contre le réchauffement climatique, notre société a de plus en plus recours aux technologies dites ‘propres’ et ‘durables’. Mais nos avantages, notre confort et notre bien-être ne sont acquis qu’à l’aune de ressources naturelles extraites dans des conditions totalement inhumaines, tout spécialement au Kivu (R.D. Congo).

N°114

Renewal, Revitalization, New Start? The Transatlantic Partnership and the Start of the Biden Administration, Sarah Sporys

The election of Joseph Biden to the American Presidency has been welcomed by most European leaders and his first weeks in office confirmed the hopes that transatlantic relations would normalize under his leadership. Since Biden has taken office, both sides of the Atlantic have confirmed their commitment to each other. Although the normalization and revitalization of the transatlantic partnership seems like a positive goal after four straining years, it does not constitute a return to a successful partnership. This paper posits that the only way to renew transatlantic relations is to change its dynamics and to create a partnership on equal footing. This would allow the two sides of the Atlantic to address pervasive issues and frustrations within the alliance and the many challenges the world is facing.

N°113

A multidimensional approach to the Karabakh War: internal, external, and energy aspects, Kenan Aslanli

The policy paper suggests a 3-dimensional analytical framework to analyze the Karabakh wars (the 1990s vs. 2020) with different aspects to understand the past, present, and future of the conflict. The internal dimension includes the political, social, and economic situations of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The external dimension covers power struggles among regional and global powers such as Russia, Turkey, Iran, China, the US, and European powers. The energy and transportation dimension contains the geopolitical significance of the region's energy resources and energy transportation routes.

N°112

Europe’s Digital Decade: Game on, Gabrielle Heyvaert

There is a clear consensus on the fact that Europe is lagging behind the USA and China when it comes to digital strategy. It may lead in the near future to a wide range of strategic weaknesses – overdependency on foreign technologies, risks of interference in domestic political outcomes, unfair competitiveness, and declining influence worldwide. The time for a European response finally seems to have come with the commitment of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to make Europe "fit for the digital age" during her 2019-2024 term in office. Key elements of the ongoing European digital strategy are outlined in this paper: the EU strategy for data, the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act as well as the financial resources deployed to boost EU research in critical technologies.

N°111

La Turquie en Afrique : une stratégie d'affirmation, Merve Samalp and Nicolas Crocy - in French only

From the 1990s onwards, Turkey intensified its return to Africa using diplomatic, cultural and development tools. However, for several years now, this strategy has been increasingly part of a perspective of regional influence and competition.