Sophia Besch

Sophia Besch

Senior research fellow
Areas of expertise 

EU Common Security and Defence Policy, European defence industry integration, NATO, German security and defence policy

Twitter 

For the first time Europeans are seriously debating EU defence spending

Smart Thinking
10 May 2018
Britain leaving costs the EU money. Currently, there is no defence line in the EU budget, overall EU defence spending is the sum of all member-state spending.

CER podcast: The Customs Union debate

09 May 2018
Sophia Besch asks John Springford and Sam Lowe to lay out the arguments in favour and against a customs union between the UK and the EU after Brexit.

CER podcast: Defence co-operation after Brexit: A positive sum game?

26 April 2018
Beth Oppenheim talks to Sophia Besch about the difficulties the UK and the EU face as they try to negotiate the conditions for European military co-operation and defence industrial policy after Brexit.

Voice of America: Macron, Merkel US visits highlight policy tensions with Trump

25 April 2018
Sophia Besch a research fellow at the Centre for European Reform spoke to Voice of America about German Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to Washington later this week.

Germany's arms exports have spiked, despite domestic opposition and public scrutiny

World Politics Review
19 April 2018
Between 2014 and 2017, Germany’s government approved some $31 billion in weapons sales, including almost $18 billion to countries outside the European Union and the NATO alliance.

CER Bulletin podcast: EU reform; Brexit and foreign policy; Europe and cyber security

11 April 2018
In the CER Bulletin podcast, CER researchers brief podcast listeners on three of the most important topics for Europe this month. 

CER podcast: Brexit negotiations: Will the unity of the 27 crack?

28 March 2018
Sophia Besch speaks to Beth Oppenheim and Sam Lowe about what to expect during the second part of Brexit negotiations – will the future relationship talks bring out different political and economic interests among the EU-27?

Europäische Verteidigungspolitik: Jetzt geht’s um Resultate!

Peace Lab
27 March 2018
Ob die Gemeinsame Sicherheits- und Verteidigungspolitik der EU wirklich vorankommt, hängt von der neuen Bundesregierung ab.

CER podcast: Security after Brexit

14 March 2018
Sophia Besch asks Camino Mortera-Martinez about future UK-EU justice and home affairs co-operation.

Deutschland will klein sein, muss aber Großes wollen

Der Standard
13 March 2018
Nach monatelangem Hin und Her gibt es nun auch in Berlin eine neue Bundesregierung. Mit ihr muss sich Deutschland von alten, liebgewordenen Illusionen verabschieden – unter anderem von seiner Selbsteinschätzung, es sei ein höchstens mittelgroßes europäisches Land.
Deutschland hat sich lange den Luxus erlaubt vorzugeben, etwas zu sein, was es nicht...