Foreign policy & defence
IFRI: Transatlantic relations in the age of 'America First'
12 December 2018
Sophia Besch, a research fellow at the Centre for European Reform discusses transatlantic relations in the age of 'America First' - how American foreign policy will develop, what to make of European efforts to reach strategic autonomy, and how Germany's defence policy is changing.
Review: Plugging In the British: Completing the Circuit
12 December 2018
Foreign Affairs
Brexit has proved surprisingly difficult to implement, not just in economic affairs, where analysts always expected problems, but in many other areas, too.
Cakewatch: How Brexit might affect UK and EU foreign policy
28 November 2018
The Centre for European Reform is the UK's foremost think-tank on matters European, and Ian Bond is its Director of Foreign Policy, so Chris is in his element this week discussing how Brexit might affect both UK and EU foreign policy. Featuring not one, not two, but three baskets.
Letter to the editor: 'Empty' EU army
23 November 2018
The Times
Sir, Gavin Williamson (report, Nov 20) need not worry about a European army, as the term is empty and misleading.
NATO's cyber pledge
21 November 2018
E!Sharp
NATO’s primary and most urgent cyber task is the protection its own communications systems and networks. But the alliance also offers training opportunities and tried to make information sharing between allies easier, in order to help capitals to protect their sytems and ‘critical’ networks from attacks.
As the situation in Gaza worsens, it's time for the EU to step in – Trump has proven the US can't help any more
13 November 2018
The Independent
The EU has leverage over both the Palestinian territories and Israel, and could use it to great effect.
CER podcast: Instability in Libya and a divided EU
10 October 2018
Sophia Besch asks Luigi Scazzieri about the latest escalation of the conflict in Libya, and they discuss the EU's fragmented policy.
CER Bulletin podcast: Singapore-on-Thames; the Western Balkans; Italy
28 September 2018
In the CER Bulletin podcast, CER researchers brief podcast listeners on three of the most important topics for Europe this month.
Predictable unpredictability: The future of euro-atlantic security?
27 September 2018
Riga Dialogue
A participant in this year’s Riga Dialogue began his presentation by saying that Russia was now more predictable than the US or the EU. It was designed to be provocative, but it was an accurate reflection of reality.
Unpredictability has become an important risk factor in the Euro-Atlantic area. Two of...
Unpredictability has become an important risk factor in the Euro-Atlantic area. Two of...
Brexit and defence negotiations
10 September 2018
Atlantic Community
In the enthusiasm about the EU’s numerous new defence initiatives in Germany, a discussion of the consequences of Britain’s withdrawal from the union is often curiously absent.
The Spectator podcast: China's new diplomacy
02 August 2018
Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, spoke to The Spectator Podcast about the 'WTO option' and the likelihood of a no deal (from 16:45mins).
“I think the chances of no deal are higher than they were. I still think it is more likely than not that there will be...
“I think the chances of no deal are higher than they were. I still think it is more likely than not that there will be...
Judy Asks: Is Trump wrong about NATO?
11 July 2018
Carnegie Europe
A selection of experts answer a new question from Judy Dempsey on the foreign and security policy challenges shaping Europe’s role in the world.
CER event podcast: CER/KAS Conference on 'Plugging in the British: Completing the circuit'
11 July 2018
Three panels of experts gathered at the CER/KAS conference, ‘Plugging in the British: Completing the Circuit’ at the Royal United Services Institute.
BBC World Service: Trump: NATO Allies 'delinquent'
11 July 2018
Sophia Besch a research fellow a the Centre for European Reform spoke to the BBC World Service about how US relations with its NATO allies are “at an absolute low point. The European allies seem traumatised and shocked. …I personally think there is very little that they can do to convince Trump of the NATO value but we will see how they get on over the next 48 hours.” (from 37:53 mins).
Voice of America: NATO summit overshadowed by defence spending spat
11 July 2018
Singling out Germany isn't necessarily fair, said defence analyst Sophia Besch of the Centre for European Reform.
BBC Newsnight: NATO summit
11 July 2018
Sophia Besch, a research fellow at the CER spoke to Newsnight (from 31:57 mins) from the NATO summit.
Deutsche Welle: NATO desperate to avoid rerun of disastrous G7 summit
10 July 2018
Sophia Besch, a research fellow with the Centre for European Reform (CER), spoke to Deursche Welle about the possibility that a Trump-Merkel clash could derail the summit. "[Trump] is framing the 2 per cent as the golden ticket for any European leaders to get into his good graces, and that's why everyone is so worried. (From -3: 18 mins)
CER Bulletin podcast: Transatlantic relationship; Brexit and financial services; UK-EU defence negotiations
14 June 2018
CER researchers brief podcast listeners on three of the most important topics for Europe this month.
CER podcast: NATO and the transatlantic defence relationship
23 May 2018
Recorded at the Daimler US-European Forum: Sophia Besch talks to Constanze Stelzenmüller and Camille Grand about changes in the relationship between the US and its European NATO allies.
For the first time Europeans are seriously debating EU defence spending
10 May 2018
Smart Thinking
Britain leaving costs the EU money. Currently, there is no defence line in the EU budget, overall EU defence spending is the sum of all member-state spending.