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De Tafel van Mars | Waarom Trumps wereldorde volgens Machiavelli gedoemd is te falen

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Wat kunnen invloedrijke samenlevingen uit de oudheid ons leren over de wereld van vandaag? In De Tafel van Mars, de nieuwe podcast van Trouw en HCSS, duiken Ghassan Dahhan en Tim Sweijs in de politieke, militaire en filosofische fundamenten van vergane rijken. Van Spartaanse discipline en collectieve kracht, tot Romeinse expansie en institutionele macht: welke wereldordes waren succesvol en welke niet? En belangrijker nog: welke patronen herkennen we vandaag in Europa en Amerika?

Tweede Kamerleden verdiepen zich in geopolitieke thema’s tijdens masterclass van denktanks Clingendael en HCSS

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Een groep leden van de Tweede Kamer heeft vandaag deelgenomen aan een gezamenlijke masterclass van het Haags Centrum voor Strategische Studies (HCSS) en Instituut Clingendael. Tijdens de bijeenkomst kregen parlementariërs inzicht in het onderzoek en de expertise van beide denktanks, en in de rol die zij spelen in het versterken van de informatiepositie van de Kamer. De bijeenkomst onderstreepte het belang van een sterke kennisinfrastructuur voor het parlement, in een tijd van toenemende geopolitieke onzekerheid.

HCSS Programme Director Laura Birkman | PBL ‘Grey Swans’ event on geopolitical future of climate and biodiversity governance

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At this week’s PBL “Grey Swans” event, HCSS Programme Director Laura Birkman explored how shifting geopolitical dynamics are reshaping global climate and biodiversity governance. She highlighted the growing role of strategic competition, critical dependencies, and systemic risks, as well as the increasing importance of minilateral cooperation alongside multilateral frameworks. Birkman emphasised that effective governance must integrate security, equity, and local ownership, particularly as climate impacts and ecosystem degradation intensify and increasingly affect global stability, resilience, and international cooperation.

Expert Analysis | The ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs were supposed to revive US manufacturing. So far they have not.

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One year after Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, the hoped-for revival of US manufacturing has yet to materialize, write Geoffroy Feij and Ron Stoop. Investment, construction spending, and employment all fell between April and December 2025, while production growth remained marginal. High tariffs on imports – many of which are essential intermediate goods – have raised costs for American companies without boosting output. Combined with labour shortages and policy uncertainty, these measures highlight the limits of broad import tariffs as a tool for re-industrialisation and offer cautionary lessons for Europe.

Dissertation Maarten Vonk | From Inference to Influence: Applying Causal Game Theory to Complex Security Environments

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On 26 March, former HCSS Data Scientist Maarten Vonk defended his PhD thesis at Leiden University, examining how causal analysis can better inform policy in complex security environments. His research addresses a core challenge: distinguishing true cause-and-effect relationships from mere patterns. By integrating causal methods with strategic interaction between actors, the dissertation provides a practical framework to help policymakers choose appropriate analytical tools and anticipate how adversaries may respond in dynamic, interconnected security contexts.

De Tafel van Mars | Luister vanaf 6 april naar de nieuwe podcast van Trouw en HCSS

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Luister vanaf 6 april 2026 naar De Tafel van Mars, de nieuwe tweewekelijkse podcast van Trouw en HCSS, waarin journalist Ghassan Dahhan en HCSS onderzoeksdirecteur Tim Sweijs de geopolitiek bespreken, aan de hand van geschiedenis en filosofie. Wat leren de oude verhalen ons over de wereld van vandaag, en misschien óók die van morgen?

New HCSS paper by Iskander Rehman | What the Spanish Civil War reveals about Ukraine and today’s strategic choices

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A new HCSS guest paper by Dr. Iskander Rehman examines the war in Ukraine through the lens of an oft-cited but seldom explored analogy: the Spanish Civil War. It shows how protracted proxy wars often become global testing grounds for military training and innovation, and why democracies risk falling behind if they misread or underreact. The paper outlines key lessons on escalation, military learning, and the global nature of contemporary conflict.

New paper: Making Russia Fear Escalation Again

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Russia’s hybrid war is expanding, exploiting NATO’s reluctance to escalate. Alexander Mattelaer’s latest HCSS paper argues that defensive resilience alone cannot stop Moscow. NATO must undermine the Kremlin’s confidence by demonstrating credible escalation options and reinforcing political will. “If NATO wants Moscow to back down, Russian leaders must fear escalation again,” Mattelaer warns. The paper lays out how Europe can restore strategic restraint and counter Russia’s confidence-driven hybrid strategy.

New HCSS report: Climate change is a stress test for European unity, adaptation is key to preserving EU cohesion

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While heat, drought and wildfires disproportionately affect Southern and Southeastern Europe, flooding increasingly impacts Central and Northern regions. This new HCSS report by Ron Stoop and Laura Birkman shows how uneven climate impacts risk straining EU cohesion and decision-making. As climate hazards intensify, diverging national interests could weaken Europe’s collective response capacity. The report argues that targeted adaptation, including in agriculture, infrastructure and coastal resilience, can reduce these tensions and strengthen the EU’s economic security and political stability.

Tim Sweijs and Jeffrey H. Michaels | Beyond Ukraine now available in paperback

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Beyond Ukraine: Debating the Future of War, edited by Tim Sweijs and Jeffrey H. Michaels, is now available in paperback. The book examines how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has reshaped thinking on the future of conflict, while highlighting other critical trends in warfare. Featuring contributions from leading international experts, it offers a broad and in-depth perspective on strategy, technology, and the human dimensions of war – making it essential reading for policymakers, scholars, and military professionals alike.

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