Foreign & Security Policy

Nuclear weapons remain at the core of modern security strategies, and all great powers of the 21st century rely on nuclear deterrence to some extent. A workshop organized by the European Leadership Network (ELN) focused on the impact of new and disruptive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Quantum Computing on nuclear decision-making. The major findings of the workshop are summarized in this report.

German foreign policy is often described as peace-oriented, moderate and scarcely militarized. But the image of Germany as a "civilian power" cannot be upheld against Berlin's record in defense spending and arms exports. There is little evidence that Germany prioritizes civilian instruments over military power in its foreign policy. A feminist critique by the Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy and the German section of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.

Although political debates were for the most part overshadowed by the Corona crisis at the beginning of 2021, this E-Paper wants to address the question of how the European Union could find its place in a more competitive world. The buzzwords of this debate were the concepts of strategic autonomy and strategic sovereignty of the EU.

Feminist perspectives are gaining strength in foreign and security policy. This leads to new questions for the politically contested field of arms transfers. The authors of the policy paper analyse the phenomenon of gender-based violence, which can be exacerbated through the transfer of weaponry to certain regions, and call for a more gender-sensitive arms export policy.

More than half a century ago, France tested its first atomic bombs in the Algerian desert. This E-Paper examines the environmental and political legacy of these tests: a story of post-colonial injustice and radiological irresponsibility.

It is time to upgrade the current debate on multilateralism, to make it greener and more global. We tried to do just this at our 20th Foreign Policy Conference, which took place in Berlin on 30-31 January 2020. This reader provides some insights into our major topics, from trade to climate to security policy, with perspectives from South Africa, India, Brazil, the US and the EU.