On 7–8 December, SIPRI organized a brainstorming workshop entitled ‘Fostering Peace and Stability: Rethinking the European Model’. The SIPRI European Security Programme hosted the workshop that convened 14 experts from diverse regions across Europe. During the event, participants delved into discussions on the prevailing geopolitical landscape, exploring its ramifications for Europe’s efforts to cultivate peace and stability. The sessions also focused on pinpointing specific questions requiring additional research.
Europe—and the European Union (EU) in particular—has long projected an image of being both a peace project in itself and a promoter of peace, stability and prosperity. The existence of peace and regional stability across Europe’s neighbourhood is decisive for its own security. However, Europe’s ability to foster peace and guarantee stability is under strain. Failed attempts at fostering peace abroad, such as in Afghanistan or in the Sahel, lead to questions regarding the overall effectiveness of the EU’s peace project. The fact that a war currently rages in Europe itself may also raise doubts about Europe’s credibility as an exporter of peace. And worldwide reactions to Russia’s war in Ukraine may be viewed as an illustration of the West’s undermined legitimacy, at least as seen from the Global South.
Examples of research topics identified include institutions and formats, the future of crisis management operations and the (perceived) tensions between collective defence and crisis management and more broadly the level of ambition for EU action.
About the SIPRI European Security Programme
SIPRI’s European Security Programme seeks to make informed contributions to the (emerging) debate on Europe’s future security order. It aims to better understand trends and developments in European security affairs and their determinants in order to help shape a European security architecture that is conducive to stability, peace and prosperity on the continent and beyond.
Click here to read more about the SIPRI European Security Programme.