EU Institute for Security Studies

📅 What does the war in the Middle East mean for Europe?

Energy security. Trade. Defence. Alliances. The conflict is already sending shockwaves through Europe’s strategic environment.

We break down the implications.
Live tomorrow: www.youtube.com/live/wH9ykAe...

Europe shouldn’t fear trade war with China, EU agency says The European Union Institute for Security Studies has said the bloc should adopt an “escalate to de-escalate” strategy toward China, recommending faster deployment of the bloc’s so-called "trade bazoo...

The EU should deploy its Anti-Coercion Instrument to rebalance trade relations with China, according to a new report by the European Union Institute for Security Studies.

"After all, a temporary trade war with China would be painful, but worth it if it helped prevent the EU's deindustrialisation."

We see a new world order characterized by competition and coercive power politics, featuring military powers, who aim to establish spheres of influence.

How we respond to this moment will define us.

Extract of my speech at our EU Ambassadors Conference ↓

Directeur EU-denktank: ‘Doorbreek dwang van unanimiteit in Europa’ Zolang Europa blijft discussiëren over de rechtmatigheid van de oorlog tegen Iran, kan het niet meepraten over een oplossing, vindt directeur Steven Everts van de EU-denktank voor veiligheid. Europa heeft wat meer ‘Sarkozy’ nodig, de veroordeelde Franse president die beslissingen kon forceren.

'We can’t let everything be decided by 27 Member States. Europe still clings to the constraint of unanimity. But in today’s world, acting at speed & scale is essential.' @sbeverts.bsky.social in @fd.nl on the power of smaller groups to move Europe forward. fd.nl/politiek/158...

Big big day has come. We launch my major co-authored paper with @aligarciaherrero.bsky.social today. Why China is more fragile than you might think and Europe could do more 👇👇👇

#China is often seen as an unstoppable economic power. But Beijing is also increasingly fragile. New Chaillot Paper by @aligarciaherrero.bsky.social & @ruehlig.bsky.social argues the EU has more leverage than it thinks - and should use it strategically ➡️ ow.ly/1p0650Yq7EC

So kann die EU China wehtun Die Europäer können den Spieß umdrehen und Chinas wachsende ökonomische Verletzlichkeit ausnutzen, argumentiert das Institut der Europäischen Union für Sicherheitsstudien in Paris in einer neuen...

Die EU sollte Chinas wirtschaftliche Schwachstellen gezielt nutzen, um sich gegen dessen Einschüchterungspolitik und Deindustrialisierung zu wehren, argumentieren @aligarciaherrero.bsky.social und @ruehlig.bsky.social in einer neuen Analyse des @euiss.bsky.social. www.diepresse.com/20648110/so-...

Women as agents of change in the MENA region? Across the MENA region, women’s workforce participation remains among the world’s lowest but trends vary widely. Using data on education, labour, law and public opinion, this interactive analysis expl...

Women across MENA are excelling in education, seeking work, building businesses & pushing for political presence. Their agency is real & growing. But its impact is limited by the systems around them.

📊 Read the full data story by @katarzyna-sidlo.bsky.social ➡️ ow.ly/mtTq50XLmtF

🏛 Political representation remains limited.

Women hold about 19% of parliamentary seats in the region, compared with 26% globally.

Yet evidence shows that countries with more women in government are more likely to remove legal barriers to women’s economic participation.

But ambition does not easily translate into ownership.

Women account for no more than 26% of business owners in the countries covered.

Limited access to assets, credit and inheritance rights continues to restrict opportunities.

🚀 Entrepreneurship often becomes an alternative.

Across MENA, 28.5% of women say they want to start a business.

In Tunisia, Jordan, Qatar and Kuwait, more than half of women express entrepreneurial ambitions.

💼 Women work even when opportunities are scarce

But barriers remain:
• Female labour participation remains among the lowest globally
• In half the countries, the gender unemployment gap exceeds 9 percentage points

Weak job creation & informality limit opportunities.

🎓 Education is a major driver of change

Across much of MENA, women outnumber men in universities.

Yet the transition from education to employment remains deeply unequal.

What does the data really say about women’s empowerment in the Middle East & North Africa?

On #InternationalWomensDay, we look at education, jobs, entrepreneurship and political representation across the region.

A thread 🧵

War in the Middle East: The EU needs a real diplomatic initiative with countries that, like us, do not want this war and are already bearing its consequences. @sbeverts.bsky.social in Corriere della Sera: www.corriere.it/native/26_ma...

France’s nuclear initiative: A step toward Europeanising deterrence President Emmanuel Macron’s speech at the Île Longue submarine base marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of European deterrence. France’s announcement that it will expand…

encompass-europe.com/comment/fran... @lscazzieri.bsky.social @euiss.bsky.social

War in the Middle East: "We’re following events when we should be shaping alliances", @sbeverts.bsky.social tells Corriere della Sera. The EU needs a real diplomatic initiative with countries that, like us, do not want this war and are already bearing its consequences.

Macron’s plan to expand nuclear arsenal & deepen cooperation with Europeans moves toward 'Europeanising' deterrence. But it won’t solve Europe's deterrence gap: stronger conventional forces & clearer escalation strategies are essential. @lscazzieri.bsky.social ➡️ www.iss.europa.eu/publications...

Verdeeld Europa worstelt met de oorlog rond Iran Een krachtige eensgezinde reactie ontbreekt. Onderwijl worden Europese landen steeds meer het conflict in het Midden-Oosten ingezogen wegens de Iraanse aanvallen op hun bases aldaar.

Europe shouldn’t just call for de-escalation with Iran - it should act, argues @sbeverts.bsky.social. Instead of debating the legality of US/Israel actions, Europeans should focus on what unites them: trade, & work on safeguarding freedom of navigation. fd.nl/politiek/158...

New EUISS Brief written by Rossella Marangio: 'Beyond summits: The Africa-EU partnership as a priority'

🌍 Africa's demographic dynamism, growth and strategic resources are vital for Europe's economic resilience and security.

Rossella Marangio outlines 4️⃣ priorities for the EU to advance its partnership with Africa and turn the Joint Vision 2030 into tangible outcomes. www.iss.europa.eu/publications...

Europe’s strategic autonomy: often proclaimed but still far from reality. The path forward is clear write @sbeverts.bsky.social & Matteo Signorini ⤵️

• think & act in terms of power
• make a success of Europe’s rearmament
• design decision-making rules that work under disagreement

‘While Russia’s theatrical outrage at breaking international law is surely staged, it may not be entirely insincere. Moscow would like U.S. power to be more constrained,’ I write in my short contribution to this snapshot. Overall, if #Urals oil regains competitiveness, 🇷🇺 looks at a net benefit.

War in the Middle East: What implications for the EU and the world? The US and Israeli strikes on Iran have triggered a dangerous spiral of escalation. The war is having an immediate impact on Europe’s security and is sending shockwaves across the Middle East and around the globe, as well as unsettling global oil markets.

"The political map of the Middle East is being redrawn. Europe must bridge the gap between reciting principles and exerting influence. You don’t win a match from the sidelines", writes Director Steven Everts. ow.ly/Iyp650Yo5ma

#Iran war: a snapshot of the consequences across the world - and what Europe should do as the US and Israel are redrawing the map of the Middle East. ow.ly/Iyp650Yo5ma

The Foreign Policy-First President? US external action under Trump 2.0 – in data Donald Trump’s second term has defied expectations of isolationism. This interactive publication uses data and visuals to map the main axes of US foreign policy under Trump 2.0: military intervention,...

US military strikes keep rising under Trump, with Iran now added to the list of targets. Foreign policy has become a defining feature of his second term - a more interventionist presidency than many anticipated ⤵️ www.iss.europa.eu/publications...

Between FCAS and F-35: European dream meets US reality Germany is rearming with a renewed focus on buying European. But with the German-French-Spanish fighter jet project, FCAS, at a standstill, does Berlin have any real options beyond the American F-35? #EuropeNews

With the FCAS fighter jet project at a standstill, what are Germany's options?

@lscazzieri.bsky.social tells @euronews.com Berlin could either develop its own jet ("highly unlikely"), join the 🇬🇧/🇮🇹/🇯🇵 Global Combat Air Programme, or order more US-made F-35s instead. www.euronews.com/my-europe/20...

The power of the few: How clusters can strengthen European defence Defence clusters – small groups of aligned states – provide the most viable route to strengthen European military capabilities, allowing for greater industrial and operational cooperation. The EU should support and connect clusters into a more coherent European defence ecosystem.

As Europeans ramp up defence, coordinating a large and diverse group of states remains difficult. EU-wide solutions are often slow to emerge and limited in scope. Defence clusters can strengthen capabilities faster and more effectively, argues Luigi Scazzieri ⤵️ ow.ly/NVXL50YiR7m

European defence plans must not overlook the Western Balkans According to Zorić (EUISS) and Gjoni (Carnegie), “geography is one of the strongest arguments” for including the region in the European defence architecture

European defence plans must not overlook the Western Balkans' role.

"Geography is one of the strongest arguments", say Bojana Zorić (@euiss.bsky.social) and @ilirianagjoni.bsky.social (@carnegieeurope.bsky.social)

#EuropeanDefence #militarymobility #WesternBalkans

newunionpost.eu/2026/02/27/e...

It is time for Europe to weaponise its chokepoints China and others have long been adept at using supply chains to their advantage — the EU should do the same

Europe is better armed for geopolitical conflict than its leaders might think. Great to see Joris Teer CHIPDIPLO work featured in the FT. https://www.ft.com/content/b92fd917-9f1b-4393-b96d-6d22ba757c72

Thanks for sharing!