Event

Nuclear deterrence in Europe – a shifting landscape

A costly renewal of NATO’s nuclear sharing infrastructure, together with US President Trump’s criticism of the alliance have cast doubts on the future of US nuclear weapons in Europe. There is widespread public opposition to such weapons in most host states, amid a resurging nuclear disarmament movement. At the same time, tensions with Russia and global instability are on the rise. In this shifting landscape, there is talk of possible alternatives to the US nuclear deterrent. These range from French and British nuclear umbrellas to an EU solution, or even a German bomb. Is Europe in danger of losing its US-sponsored nuclear umbrella and can Europe take care of its own security? Are nuclear weapons necessary and what could a European nuclear option look like? What role does the arms control and nuclear disarmament community play?

Join us for a panel discussion with Radosław Sikorski, former Defense and Foreign Minister of Poland and Speaker of the Polish Parliament (TBC) and Céline Jurgensen, Director for Strategy and Policy at the Military Applications Division of the French Atomic Energy Commission, moderated by Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger, Professor for Security Policy and Diplomatic Practice at the Hertie School and Chairman of the MSC.

Panelists

Radosław Sikorski is Senior Fellow at Harvard, Distinguished Statesman at CSIS and principal of Sikorski Global. He was Poland's Minister of Defence (2005-2007), Foreign Minister (2007-2014) and Speaker of Parliament (2014-2015). He served as a war reporter in Afghanistan and Angola. 2001-2005 he was Resident Scholar at AEI and director of its New Atlantic Initiative. Together with Carl Bildt, he launched EU's Eastern Partnership. He proposed and helped to set up the European Endowment for Democracy. In 2014 he led the EU mission to Kiev, which stopped the bloodshed on the Maidan.

Céline Jurgensen is currently Director for Strategy and Policy at the Military Applications Division of the French Atomic Energy Commission. From 2014 to September 2016, she was Deputy Director for Human Rights and Humanitarian affairs, at the United Nations and International Organizations Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She was part of the drafting committee of the 2017 French Strategic Review of Defence and National Security. She is also teaching at the Centre for Nuclear and Strategic Studies (CIENS) of École Normale Supérieure Ulm in Paris.

Chair

Wolfgang Ischinger is Senior Professor for Security Policy and Diplomatic Practice at the Hertie School and Director of the school’s Centre for International Security Policy (CISP). He has been Chairman of the Munich Security Conference since 2008. From 2006 to 2008, he was Germany’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and from 2001 to 2006, he was Ambassador to the United States. Ischinger previously held a wide range of diplomatic and policymaking positions, including State Secretary (Deputy Foreign Minister, 1998-2001).

This event is hosted by the Centre for International Security Policy.