In his speech on Europe on 25 April 2024, President E. Macron reiterated France’s commitment to building a credible European strategic autonomy. Indeed, the country has one of the most important technological and industrial defence bases in the European Union. However, its often very nationalistic view of the European Union seems to hinder the harmonisation of a common defence strategy and the establishment of a rigorous arms export control system that guarantees the application of international humanitarian law (IHL).
Schlagwort: EU
EU-wide Bans of Russian Media Outlets – More Than a Political Signal?
On May 17th, 2024, the European Council adopted a new package of EU sanctions directed against Russia, suspending the broadcasting activities of four major pro-Russian media outlets in Europe. Since the sanctioned platforms have been heavily involved in the spread of disinformation surrounding Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the ban of these outlets seems like an obvious and necessary step. However, given how easily Russian actors have been able to circumvent the blocking of media outlets, the question arises as to how effective the sanctions actually are.
A Gap between Social and Ecological Rights: A Commentary after One Year of the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act
Frequent violations of human, labor, and environmental rights continue to impact supply chains globally, with notable prevalence in the Global South, but also in the Global North. The German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (SCDDA, in German: Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz [LkSG]), enacted in 2023, represents significant progress in upholding rights within the context of socio-ecological transformation across value chains. However, the law faces challenges, particularly in terms of its prospective enforcement and the absence of a cohesive link between social and ecological rights. This article provides a commentary and argues that addressing these issues should be a priority.
The EU and the Israel-Palestine Test
Although the US has often prided itself of the status of sole interlocutor in the Middle East “conflict”, it has equally gained the reputation of an interested and biased mediator. In parallel, the European Community or EC – now European Union, EU – claimed to have a ‚more balanced’ approach on the Middle East file, which in turn garnered Palestinians’ trust. But during the current escalation, the EU has been woefully disunited. This blog argues that a more unified European voice can only come about by “walking the talk” of an Israel-Palestine policy/peace agreement based on purported basic European values.
EU Democracy Support in the Southern Neighborhood: How the EU Contradicts its own Practices
For decades, the EU has declared that it aims to support democratization in its southern neighborhood. Yet, the EU’s cooperation with repressive rulers in other policy fields, such as energy, migration, security, and trade, contradicts the EU’s own democracy support objectives. European policymakers have apparently not learnt from the pre-2011 period. As we argue in our project SHAPEDEM-EU, the EU must embark on a journey of un-, de- and re-learning, and it must avoid contradicting practices in different policy fields. This can be done by introducing a democracy learning loop.
Debating Foreign Interference in a Multipolar World: Is the EU Becoming Illiberal?
The ways in which foreign interference by China, Russia and others are currently discussed in Brussels indicate that the EU is considering moving away from liberal principles in the area of international civil society support and the foreign funding of NGOs in particular. Based on a co-authored comment in the Heidelberg Journal of International Law, this blog post argues that it is helpful to read the current EU debate on foreign interference in the light of the ongoing, conflict-ridden transformation of the global order.
Weltraum in der Nationalen Sicherheitsstrategie
Die Bundesregierung hat am 12. Juni 2023 nach langen Diskussionen ihre Nationale Sicherheitsstrategie verabschiedet. Neben vielen anderen Themen wird darin auch der Weltraum als Gegenstand deutscher Sicherheitspolitik diskutiert. „Die freie und ungehinderte Nutzung des Weltraums ist für unsere Sicherheit unverzichtbar“ (S. 16), heißt es dort. Was folgt daraus für die deutsche Sicherheitspolitik?
Harmonisierung um jeden Preis
Am heutigen Internationalen Flüchtlingstag ist die Situation für Geflüchtete so düster wie wohl seit Einführung des Gedenktages im Jahr 2001 noch nie. Während 2022 mehr als 100 Millionen Menschen auf der Flucht waren, lassen sich weltweit, insbesondere im Globalen Norden, Bestrebungen zur Aushöhlung des Flüchtlingsrechts beobachten. Die EU plant eine umfassende Reform des europäischen Asylrechts, doch auch dieser wird keine Harmonisierung gelingen, da Kernprobleme des bisherigen Systems nicht angegangen werden. Menschenrechtliche und rechtsstaatliche Grundsätze werden zum Bauernopfer.
Der Platz der Ukraine in der europäischen Sicherheitsordnung: Konturen einer Debatte II
Die Diskussion um die Frage, wie sich die Sicherheit der Ukraine nach dem Krieg garantieren ließe, ist voll entbrannt. Wenn sich der Weg in die NATO als nicht gangbar erweisen sollte, welche Alternativen böten sich an und wie sind sie zu bewerten? In dem zweiten Blogbeitrag zu dem Thema geht es um Sicherheitsgarantien durch umfassende militärische Unterstützung, durch die Stationierung westlicher Truppen, durch die Aussicht auf EU-Mitgliedschaft und durch Arrangements, die auch russische Sicherheitsinteressen berücksichtigen.
Decoupling and the “New Cold War”: Cautionary Lessons from the Past
An emerging “new Cold War” appears to pit democracies, led by the US, against autocracies, led by Russia and China. But the analogy between today’s regime competition and that of the “old” Cold War is deceptive. China and Russia today are much more closely intertwined with Western democracies than the Soviet Union ever was. These linkages will complicate the conflict considerably. There is already growing pressure to engage in “decoupling”, that is, to break these interdependencies. Research on past instances of decoupling shows that such processes often exacerbate conflict. This research offers four lessons about the general dynamics of decoupling – and little cause for optimism about today’s disengagement processes.
