Will the new Rutte IV collation have a more strategic view on Defense, EU or the energy transition? What does AUKUS mean for the future of transatlantic cooperation? Is Moscow on the brink of going to war with Ukraine? And HCSS is hiring! Find out more in a brand-new HCSS Digest:
Climate Energy & Resources
This week, the book “Hydrogen Rocks!” was officially launched online. The volume, with a foreword by Frans Timmermans, discusses the possibilities of hydrogen in a global renewable energy transition and the position of the Netherlands in this field. HCSS experts Lucia van Geuns and Michel Rademaker contributed a chapter on “Energy and Geopolitics”.
The defense community is beginning to integrate climate security factors into its military operations. Where do the most relevant and feasible opportunities for international cooperation on climate-related security lie? Laura Birkman and Dorith Kool explain in their latest report Climate Security in Global Hotspots: Policy Options for The Netherlands.
The importance of gas storage: in Energeia Nieuws, HCSS energy expert Jilles van den Beukel outlines the possible scenarios for this winter, and what the Netherlands – or the EU – can do.
The Dutch government cannot currently guarantee the secure supply of gas, Jilles van den Beukel told Nieuwsuur television. This is because it’s is leaving the gas supply entirely up to the commercial market.. Coalition parties VVD and CDA want the cabinet to take control. Van den Beukel warned: “Think about what the closure of the Groningen gas fields means in a world of tight gas markets.”
Rutte IV
In the BNR Europa Podcast, HCSS director of political affairs Han ten Broeke takes a first look at the brand new Dutch coalition agreement – through a European looking glass. Is it time for a minister of European Affairs? And what kind of policy should the EU pursue with its near neighbors in the East?
Rob de Wijk read the new coalition agreement of Rutte 4 with high anticipation, he wrote in his weekly column for Trouw. Would it include a more strategic view of the Netherlands? On Defense, Europe or the energy transition?
What geopolitical position should Europe assume, now that Russia is rattling at the Ukrainian gates? And what role should the Netherlands play, under the new Rutte IV coalition? Bernard Hammelburg talks about it with Han ten Broeke on a brand-new BNR De Wereld.
Defense & International Security
The creation of AUKUS has brought to the surface a worrying rift between Europe and the US. What does this mean for the future of transatlantic cooperation? A new snapshot by Benedetta Girardi and Paul van Hooft explores the many ways in which the creation of AUKUS affected European engagement in one of the most important regions in the world, the Indo-Pacific.
UN member states met in Geneva to discuss the deployment of fully autonomous weapons. The Netherlands supports the ban on these weapons, which can attack independently without human involvement. “It is good that countries are expressing their concerns”, HCSS analyst Patrick Bolder commented on BNR Nieuwsradio. “But there are already actors who are not represented in Geneva, but who do have these kinds of systems. So the question is: how effective will a ban be on a global scale?”
Tune in on Sunday morning to catch the latest episode of our BNR podcast De Strateeg, where HCSS strategic analyst and rising star Lotje Boswinkel will discuss Arms Control, together with Ambassador Marjolijn van Delen, EU Special Envoy for Non-proliferation and Disarmament.
Emerging technologies are the Achilles’ heel NATO needs to address: this is the core message of a new op-ed authored by HCSS Subject Matter Expert Heiko Borchert. Today’s geoeconomic dynamic defines winning business models amid a growing dichotomy between market-driven and state-driven nations. It aims to set the rules, principles, and standards that guide economic activities and access to and ownership of emerging technologies. NATO’s current emphasis on emerging technologies with defense and commercial applications risks making the Alliance subject to this new geoeconomic dynamic. This dynamic can undermine NATO’s innovation agenda and endanger its strategic edge.
Geopolitics
Putin puts maximum pressure on Ukraine because he wants concessions from the West. The stake is the security order of Europe, Rob de Wijk explains in De Volkskrant. And due to a lack of communication, the situation is now more dangerous than it was during the Cold War. What is the answer from the West?
Is Moscow on the brink of going to war with Ukraine, as reported by US media? On radioshow Nieuwsweekend, HCSS Russia expert Salemon discusses President Putin’s motivations for the escalating tensions.
Russian authorities want to shut down Memorial, the country’s oldest human rights organization. On VPRO’s Bureau Buitenland, HCSS Russia expert Helga Salemon discussed how much room is left for free speech under Putin.
Internship Opportunity
HCSS is hiring! Do you want to join the HCSS experts in their research-projects and expand your professional skills? Can you work in a fast-paced environment? Apply now for the General Internship Program – or if you’re interested in cyber policy and resilience, you may also be interested in our Cyber Internship Program.
All I want for Christmas
Chestnuts roasting by an open fire (not very sustainable), Jack Frost nipping at your nose (not likely in a time of climate change)… yet Christmas is on your doorstep, so if you’re looking for a good book recommendation, why not try the suggestions from our analysts: check out the HCSS Christmas Bookshelf.
Experts
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