Researcher
Pernille Rieker
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Summary
Pernille Rieker's research interests are European integration and European foreign and security policy, including French and Nordic foreign and security policies. She holds a PhD (Dr.polit) from the University of Oslo, earned in 2004. At NUPI, Rieker is part of the Research Group on Security and Defence (SecDef).
Recent publications:
Books:
- Franske tilstander: Forstå det moderne Frankrike? (Universitetsforlaget 2024)
- European Actorness in a Shifting Geopolitical Order. European Strategic Autonomy Through Differentiated Integration (Palgrave 2024)
- French Foreign Policy in a Changing World. Practising Grandeur (Palgrave 2017)
Articles:
- Krig i Europa og franske bidrag til europeisk sikkerhet, Internasjonal Politikk (2024)
- Finally coming of age? EU foreign and security policy after Ukraine, European Security (2024)
- Ad hoc coalitions in European Security and Defence: Symptoms of short-term pragmatism, Journal of European Integration, 2024
- Making Sense of the European Side of the Transatlantic Security Relations in Africa (Politics & Governance, 2022)
- 'Not so unique after all? Urgency and Norms in EU foreign and security policy' (Journal of European Integration, 2021)
More information about her other work can be found in her complete CV or on the project sites.
Current research:
Pernille Rieker leads the RE-ENGAGE project, which aims to analyze the EU's promotion of democracy and stability in its neighboring regions in a time of increased egopolitical tensions.
Education
2004 PhD, Department of Political Science, University of Oslo
1998 Can. Polit. in Political Science, University of Oslo
Work Experience
2025- Director and Research Professor - ARENA Centre for European Studies
2017- Research Professor, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) and Head of NUPI Centre for European Studies (NCE) (40% as from 2025)
2011-2017 Senior Researcher, NUPI
2009-2011 Senior Adviser, NordForsk
1999-2009 PhD-candidate/Senior Researcher/Head of Departement, NUPI
Aktivitet
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Ad hoc crisis response and international organisations (ADHOCISM)
ADHOCISM asks what is the impact of ad hoc crisis responses on international organisations? ...
Differentiated Defence Integration Under French Leadership
Studies dealing with EU security and defence policy tend to focus exclusively on what is formally included in the Union’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). Other initiatives taken outside this framework are frequently seen potentially undermining the development of EU defence – even when the intention is to strengthen defence capacity. This has been the case with the various initiatives taken within or closely linked to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as well as the recent French approach involving the European Intervention Initiative (EI2). An alternative perspective is to see these as integrated parts of a more flexible and differentiated European security framework where all these initiatives combined contribute to strengthening European defence capacity. Building on the argument presented in the introduction to this Special Issue, this article argues that France, as a leader in promoting ‘l’Europe de la défense’, has been instrumental in promoting this differentiated approach to European defence integration, especially under the Macron presidency.
Differentiated Integration and Europe’s Global Role: A Conceptual Framework
In a time of global challenges, rising geopolitical tensions and a weakening of the traditional trans-Atlantic security community, we can expect pressures for Europe to play a more important role in the world. Various initiatives have been taken to strengthen the role of the European Union (EU), but there are also tendencies towards a more complex European governance structure in the making, characterized by a combination of both EU and non-EU (but still European) initiatives. This introductory article presents a framework for studying a European role that includes initiatives taken within and outside the EU framework, but closely interlinked, indicating that the concept of differentiated integration (DI) may help to clarify Europe’s role in a changing and volatile global context.
Politique africaine et méditerranéenne de la France : vers une réinvention de l’exceptionnalisme ?
Engagement in Africa is still at the heart of French foreign policy. Over the past twenty years, this African policy has undergone significant changes, which seem to confirm the hypothesis of a reinvention of French exceptionalism, more than its end. It is no secret that French foreign policy practices in Africa have had a negative image associated with Françafrique - a loaded concept that refers to the patronage and corrupt activities of French and African political, economic and military actors. These practices, without having completely disappeared, seem in the process of being replaced. How to characterize them? Are they still an instrument for strengthening French exceptionalism, and if so, how? Besides, is exceptionalism still an interesting concept to help understand French foreign policy in general, and African policy in particular?
The EU's comprehensive response to out of area crises: Plugging the capability-expectations gap
Since adopting a “comprehensive approach” to crisis management in 2013, the EU has spent considerable time and energy on streamlining its approach. Recently, we have also seen a terminological shift from “comprehensive” to “integrated”, indicating an expansion of the approach beyond the development–security nexus to encompass the commitment to the synergistic use of all tools available at all stages of the conflict cycle. It also recognises the need to overcome the EU’s own legal, institutional and budgetary internal/external dichotomies that have troubled a truly joined-up approach in the past. But has this change improved the Union’s capacity to act? Drawing on institutional theory, this article analyses whether the EU has the administrative capacities needed in order to be an effective actor in this area.
Frankrikes Europa-politikk gir muligheter for Norge
If one wants an EU that is able to protect the values on which European cooperation is based, then the EU must be strengthened. This is the main message of the new French European policy. And Norway should support that, even if it is not an EU member.
Norway – optimising EU non-membership to maximise mutual European added value
Several countries outside the European Union have cooperation agreements with the EU that integrate them more or less into European projects of their choice. One of the ‘third’ countries most integrated into EU activities and EU regulations is Norway. What motivates the Norwegians - whose country would easily qualify for EU membership in all respects - to opt for very far-reaching cooperation, while choosing not to have a full say in all the rules and regulations that such cooperation involves? Pernille Rieker is Research Professor at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, specialised in European integration and European foreign and security policy. In this article she explains how the search for European added value brings Norway very close to EU membership, and why the country chooses to go no further.
What’s in the new EU-UK relationship?
The EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement was reached on 24 December 2020, after more that four years of negotiation. Join this webinar to learn more on what the deal holds for the future, both in terms of EU-UK relations and their wider context.