What does the AUKUS pact mean for the EU? Is China watching us through drones used by the Dutch police? Who will be the next German Chancellor? Here’s your weekly dose of bitesize HCSS chunks!
An investigation from Investico researchers uncovered indications that images and other drone data from unmanned devices from the Chinese company DJI – used by the Dutch police – can end up with the Chinese government. HCSS expert Patrick Bolder commented on the troubling news in various media, including Trouw, De Groene, EenVandaag, NOS Nieuws and NPO Radio 1 – or click here for the full rundown.
In her 16 years in the chancellery, Angela Merkel has weathered a string of crises, from economic to pandemic. But to what extent can the balance of power in Europe change when she steps down? Just how powerful is the German Chancellor? On the latest episode of our BNR podcast De Strateeg, HCSS Director of Political Affairs Han ten Broeke and Willem Melching, historian at the Germany Institute of the University of Amsterdam, discuss the importance of the German elections for the Netherlands, and for the EU.
Experts are clear: we want to get rid of gas, but we just can’t do that yet. Especially not if we’ll have a cold winter. HCSS energy experts Jilles van den Beukel and Lucia van Geuns dominated the news this week, in response to the increase of the price for natural gas:
- “In the Netherlands, 44 percent of our energy consumption still comes from natural gas,” HCSS energy expert Jilles van den Beukel told the NOS on Radio 1.
- Later, on RTL Nieuws, he asked the question whether it would pay to take more fields into production.
- Meanwhile, HCSS energy expert Lucia van Geuns was a guest at Nieuwsweekend.
- Stay tuned for a new paper by Lucia van Geuns and Jilles van den Beukel about this urgent topic next Tuesday!
Popular podcast ‘Europa Draait Door’ asked Han ten Broeke: What does the AUKUS pact mean for the EU? Is this an omen for the new geopolitical relations? And how should the EU respond to this?
Two weeks after EC President Von der Leyen delivered her State of the Union speech at the European Parliament, Clingendael organized its annual State of the Union conference. This year’s (online) edition was dedicated to the theme of ‘European narratives’, with HCSS Senior Strategic Analyst Paul van Hooft taking part in the panel on “Great power narratives: a battle of narratives or making the world safe for diversity.”
Meanwhile, the International Security Studies Forum (ISSF) called Paul van Hooft’s article “All-in or All-out: Why Insularity Pushes and Pulls American Grand Strategy to Extremes” a piece of fine scholarship.
There are four new additions to GCSC Cyberstability Paper Series! Get insights from OEWG Chair on the process, discover the impact of internet shutdowns on cyberstability, read about digitalization in Africa, and is a digital NAM possible? Check them out at: https://cyberstability.org/paper-series/
With the launch of the Brik II satellite, the Dutch Air Force has taken the first step on the path to space. But even though we now have military potential in space, there is as of yet no official Dutch space policy. Something that is urgently needed, writes HCSS analyst Patrick Bolder in Carré magazine, because besides the fact that it is becoming increasingly crowded in space, this domain is now also becoming less friendly.
After a tense election night, the German Bundestagswahl 2021 seem to have been won by the social-democratic SPD. Who will be the next chancellor now depends on the liberals (FDP) and the Greens, commented HCSS director of political affairs Han ten Broeke on WNL’s Goedemorgen Nederland.
While Biden takes the path of classic power politics, Western Europe has become pacifist: accustomed to prosperity and peace, we see power politics as something of the past, from the times of the Cold War, Rob de Wijk writes in his column for Trouw. But just like climate change, it seems accidents are necessary before this realization finally sinks in.
In a second article for Carré, analyst Patrick Bolder asked the question: with the changing character of war, is there still a future for the tank, or is it nearing the end of its shelf life, similar to mounted cavalry a hundred years ago?
Last but not least: we celebrated our CEO Paul Sinning’s birthday this week with a surprise party! Congratulations from all of us at HCSS, Paul!
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