Daniel Fiott
@danielfiott.bsky.social
Professor and Head, Defence, Investment and Innovation, CSDS - VUB; and Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Real Instituto Elcano. More on me: https://linktr.ee/danielfiott
“….ministers pointed out that communication during moments of crisis could further be reinforced through timely coordination and should be more coherent, especially to counter malicious external actors…” “Reinforced”, my god what an understatement…! www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/...
Informal video conference of home affairs ministers
Over video conference, ministers of home affairs addressed current developments in Ceuta.
consilium.europa.eu
It’s a really good thing that the Christian politicians Pope Leo XIV addressed in April 2026 on solidarity, unity and Europe really listened to his message… 😒 www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news...
Pope to EU lawmakers: Seek unity, not conflict that leads to destruction - Vatican News
Pope Leo XIV urges European People’s Party lawmakers to reject ideology, rebuild trust with citizens, and pursue a form of politics rooted in the ...
vaticannews.va
A very important article to cut through the analytical fuzziness of the “Europeanisation of NATO” debate. Thanks to Christian Freudlsperger and Frank Schimmelfennig for it! @jcms-eu.bsky.social onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
The Europeanisation of NATO
Click on the article title to read more.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
It will be interesting to see how the divisions between member states and lack of solidarity will be treated in the forthcoming European Security Strategy. As I argued recently… common perceptions (we don’t even have that) do not lead to common action. csds.vub.be/publication/...
The Strategy Trap? European Threat Assessments and the Problem of Common Action - CSDS
The EU's 2026 threat assessment demonstrates that while Europe has developed a clearer understanding of its strategic environment, it remains less certain about the political choices required to respo...
csds.vub.be
"Link defence R&D support to testing and procurement, EU told" Many thanks to Martin Greenacre from Science I Business for covering my latest study for the European Parliament. The EU's R&D support needs to be linked to testing and procurement! Read here: sciencebusiness.net/news/link-de...
Link defence R&D support to testing and procurement, EU told
Defence instruments funded under the next long-term EU budget should devote more resources to maturing, testing and certifying technologies and bridging the gap between R&D and production, a new repor...
sciencebusiness.net
“…no UEFA national teams will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as these proposals remain alive, unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety…” 👏🏻 @UEFA www.uefa.com/news-media/n...
Statement on behalf of UEFA and its 55 national associations
UEFA and its national associations will not participate in FIFA competitions.
uefa.com
Those European leaders who were quick to dismiss FIFA’s dark works during the World Cup as not that important may soon have a rude awakening… many agendas aligning… www.euractiv.com/news/eu-warn...
EU warns FIFA World Cup sell-off could breach competition law | Euractiv
The reported scheme to effectively auction off the World Cup could breach EU rules, commissioner warns
euractiv.com
In a post-summer paper, I will argue we need a European acquisition plan for more A400Ms. Versatile, European-made, aircraft that can serve all sorts of dual-use tasks. If we are fighting fires with them, we need enough for any parallel military tasks. Good luck to the pilots!
FRANCE 24 English@en.france24.com · 2w ago🔴 BREAKING - Live: France deploys military plane as wildfires spread towards Bordeaux
The PlayStation server has been down all day, which is terrible with kids (and me) wanting to play EAFC and Fortnite… alas, the fully digital format doesn’t work and @PlayStation wants to end disks. Any European company that builds a fully analog console (just disks!) will rule.
I am very pleased to share my latest Study for the @europarl.europa.eu, requested by SEDE, on “Advancing the Inclusion of SMEs in the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base”. I hope you find it of interest! Read here: www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/mt... #EDTIB #EUdefence #SMEs
For me, it is Design G! Have your own say on the future design of our euro notes via @ecb.europa.eu www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/banknot...
"Geography, strategic culture and domestic politics continue to mediate how European states interpret and respond to external risks". Check out Daniel Fiott's latest piece for CSDS on threat assessments and European strategy. Read csds.vub.be/publication/...
❗New CSDS Policy Brief❗ "The Strategy Trap? European Threat Assessments and the Problem of Common Action", by Daniel Fiott. Read csds.vub.be/publication/... #Europe #Strategy #GhentFour #FrenchSchool @danielfiott.bsky.social
I have just written a new piece on the EU’s new threat assessment, the “Ghent Four” and the “French School”. Read it and you’ll understand… strategic convergence doesn’t automatically mean common action!
CSDS Brussels@csds.bsky.social · 2w ago❗New CSDS Policy Brief❗ "The Strategy Trap? European Threat Assessments and the Problem of Common Action", by Daniel Fiott. Read csds.vub.be/publication/... #Europe #Strategy #GhentFour #FrenchSchool @danielfiott.bsky.social
I’m really not sure this “The Odyssey” crossover for the World Cup final half time show really worked…
I’m very pleased Nolan decided to film in #Malta for The Trojan Prologue in #TheOdyssey. Calypso’s Cave, in Gozo, has long been thought the location of the mythical Ogygia, where the nymph Calypso saves and holds Odysseus captive for 7 years. Malta is such a timeless land…
Culture Crave 🍿@culturecrave.co · 3w agoThe dolphins that appeared in ‘The Odyssey’ were real and filmed by accident 🐬 ⚔️
Bizarre… the Commission President could have taken the tickets and resold them via the ridiculous and scandalous pricing regime… She could have single-handedly put a real dent in the €807 billion repayments under NGEU 🤪
POLITICO Europe@politico.eu · 3w agoEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen rejected an invitation to the FIFA Men's World Cup final this weekend, which will feature EU nation Spain taking on Argentina.
Some of the defence industrial elements of the Franco-German Defence and Security Council of July 17, 2026. 👇🏻 Putting a brave face on the FCAS failure with conditional language on future cooperation… the nuclear dimension, however, has a great degree of promise, but others can take that up…
Daniel Fiott@danielfiott.bsky.social · 3w agoFrance and Germany will take advantage of the experience of the EDF and the EDIP in view of the EU's next MFF. The two countries will work together to make progress in the priority capacity areas that have already been defined by the European Council. www.elysee.fr/emmanuel-mac...
France and Germany will take advantage of the experience of the EDF and the EDIP in view of the EU's next MFF. The two countries will work together to make progress in the priority capacity areas that have already been defined by the European Council. www.elysee.fr/emmanuel-mac...
Conclusions du Conseil franco-allemand de défense et de sécu
Lire les conclusions.
elysee.fr
Yorgen Fenech is standing trial over the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Following the proceedings, it is easy, amid the technical discussions by explosives experts, to forget the human dimension. What they did to Daphne is a stain on Malta's history. timesofmalta.com/article/live...
Live Blog: Yorgen Fenech trial hears of payments to Daphne hitmen after arrests
More prosecution witnesses due to take the stand
timesofmalta.com
I was asked by @rmomtaz.bsky.social for #TTP on whether I think NATO should continue having annual summits… my response below. I’m joined by eight other commentators. carnegieendowment.org/europe/strat... @carnegieeurope.bsky.social
Taking the Pulse: Enough with the Annual NATO Summits, Already?
Over the past ten years, NATO has held almost as many summits as it did during the entirety of the Cold War. Are they still useful, or is it time to stop holding annual meetings?
carnegieendowment.org
📈EU defence spending reached €418 billion in 2025 – 20% more than the year before. The increase reflects EU countries’ efforts to strengthen Europe’s defence capabilities. See more below via the European Defence Agency. New data drop here: eda.europa.eu/publications...
¡Qué alegría ver que 1️⃣0️⃣ publicaciones del @rielcano.bsky.social han sido incluidas en la "Think Tank Review" del @consilium.europa.eu! www.consilium.europa.eu/en/documents...
“The greatest risk is political complacency,” said Fiott. “Higher defense budgets alone do not generate military power.” Glad to have provided comments for this excellent J. Rogin & K. Frankel piece for @washingtonpost.com on the #NATO Summit. wpintelligence.washingtonpost.com/topics/globa...
After Ankara: The drive to make NATO 3.0 a reality - WP Intelligence
European leaders are promising to make their continent a modern defense industrial powerhouse. But that is easier said than done.
wpintelligence.washingtonpost.com
