Room for Change? Premises of the EU's Space Policy
Since 2009, the EU’s space policy has, to a large extent, been grounded in principles linked to the EU’s climate and environmental agenda, based on a peaceful orientation toward the use of outer space. The ongoing transformation in Europe, where geopolitics has greater momentum, can be described as a shift away from the EU as a normative space actor, which has been the institutionalized premise of the EU’s space policy. The article problematizes the fact that, despite increased attention to security and defense in space policy, this shift does not materialize in practice. Drawing on institutional theory, the article discusses the factors that sustain stability and prevent rapid change, explaining how continuity in the EU’s space policy makes transformation difficult. Based on the EU’s two space strategies from 2016 and 2023, as well as interviews with space policy bureaucrats within the EU system, the article analyzes whether security and defense have become strengthened premises of the EU’s space policy. The findings are based on traceable structural and strategic shifts that may indicate significant change. The article further examines how the lack of operationalization in the EU’s space strategies, internal political disagreement among EU member states regarding the EU’s mandate, and technological lock-ins in the development of space capabilities challenge the EU’s ability to implement its defense and security agenda in its space policy. The findings show that the EU is not able to implement new security and defense ambitions in its space policy at the expected pace of the political leadership.
Military AI, Venture Capital and the Hype of War
How is venture capital transforming military AI – and what are the consequences when the logics of Silicon Valley enter the domain of warfare?
Fokusnummer: Norge og EU i endring
What do you do when the EEA Agreement is no longer sufficient? This special issue of the journal Internasjonal politikk highlights the challenges Norway faces as the EU evolves and a demanding international environment puts Norwegian interests under pressure. Marianne Riddervold, Pernille Rieker, and Tine Elisabeth Johnsen Brøgger examine challenges in security and defence; Guri Rosén addresses trade and economic security; Frode Veggeland and Martin Stangborli Time focus on health preparedness; Merethe Dotterud Leiren, Marie Byskov Lindberg, and Kacper Szulecki analyse the energy transition; and John Erik Fossum and Trym Fjørtoft discuss the state of democracy in Europe. As editor, Pernille Rieker has also written the issue’s editorial.
New frontiers of diplomacy: Building relationships with uncomfortable actors in a changing world
What constitutes effective and reliable diplomacy in today's world?
Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire: Geopolitical upheaval and democracy under strain
The regional neighbourhood of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, two of West Africa’s most stable democracies, has become increasingly volatile. Drawing on empirical data from fieldwork carried out in Accra and Abidjan in June 2025, this report highlights a set of cross-cutting and interlinked issues that Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire have to navigate. This report is part of a project financed by the Norwegian MFA.
Thea Virginia McConnell
Thea is a research assistant at NUPI in the Research group for defense and security, and a master’s student in political science at the University...
Guns, Butter and Karl Polanyi: Securing Europe in the post-neoliberal world
Trump 2.0 has contested and sought to upturn the so-called liberal international order. Within Europe this entailed leveraging geoeconomic dependence to force NATO members to publicly commit to spending 5% of GDP on defence and the EU into an asymmetrical trade deal. Europe is thus undergoing a guns versus butter debate that threatens the social contract and the solvency of Europe. Taking stock of the scramble across Europe to keep NATO keeping on - and drawing upon research that explores the transnational and economic roots of the rise of the far right - this essay argues that to effectively respond to Trump 2.0 and stem tide of anti-democratic currents will require rethinking contemporary EU economic doxa – imperfectly captured by the term neoliberalism. Such a reckoning should involve a systematic reconsideration of how far and how deep markets and market logics should be institutionalised within European societies. In short, Europe should seek to proactively shape the emerging post-neoliberal trend to seek to ensure that what comes next retains the existing order’s stated commitments to democracy, tolerance, and human dignity. Conversely, failure to rethink Europe’s commitment to neoliberalism risks strengthening those that are convinced the status quo embodies little worth salvaging.
Benedicte Egjar Engesland
Benedicte is a Master’s student in Political Science at the University of Oslo and a research assistant at NUPI in the Research Group for Global O...
Nore Ims
Nore is a research assistant at NUPI, affiliated with the Research group on security and defence. He finished his master’s in Peace and Conflict S...