Je me suis exprimé ce 1er juin à l’occasion des 70 ans de l’Institut Egmont.

L’Institut royal des Relations internationales Egmont est un think tank indépendant en matière de politique internationale, un centre de recherche, et un forum de débats et de conférences. Fondé en 1947, il est indépendant et pluraliste, ayant pour but de fournir une contribution utile au processus de décision politique.

Sur le thème du rôle de la Belgique sur la scène internationale, j’ai évoqué le contexte de crises que traverse l’Union européenne et l’altération de la confiance du citoyen qui s’ensuit, de surcroît avec la montée de populismes.

Pour affronter les défis actuels, l’Europe doit se renforcer sur l’adhésion à des valeurs communes. Nous avons besoin d’une relance de l’UE grâce à des avancées concrètes sur des thèmes spécifiques : croissance économique, euro, sécurité, immigration, commerce international, défense…

Depuis 70 ans, le credo de la politique étrangère de la Belgique est le multilatéralisme. En tant que pays fondateur, la Belgique a un rôle à jouer.

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Ma préface pour la brochure des 70 ans de l’Institut Egmont

To govern is to plan ahead. When it comes to foreign policy, this puts a premium on understanding the international environment. On that basis, ministries of foreign affairs can seek to influence the direction into which the world develops and adapt to emerging trends. Ideally, this requires a symbiosis between the pursuit of national interests – most notably the security and well-being of citizens – and the defence of values such as democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Yet in a world that is undergoing rapid change, how a country as Belgium can position itself when harsh Realpolitik is making a twenty-first century comeback?

In 1947, building on the ruins of a war, far-sighted leaders and academics joined forces in setting up the Royal Institute for International Relations (later known as Egmont). At the time, the future was arguably as murky as it ever was. Yet this did not stop prominent politicians and inquisitive scholars from thinking about the long term. The institute’s archives bear witness to this. Decades before the Euro materialized, Pierre Werner wondered why the market of euro-dollars – escaping the remit of national monetary authorities – could not form the basis for monetary integration. While charting the course for the transatlantic alliance to get through the Cold War, Pierre Harmel authored no less than eight articles for the institute’s house journal. Already in the 1980s, Jean Gol explored the challenges of European and international cooperation in preventing terrorism. In the mid-1990s, Frank Vandenbroucke cogently argued that external competitiveness and internal solidarity go hand in hand. As such, the Institute firmly established itself as the Brussels’ home for scholarship about European politics, international security and African affairs.

As the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is adapting to an environment that is increasingly driven by knowledge and information, it recognizes the value added an institute like Egmont provides. Think-tanks have now become an intrinsic part of diplomacy in the twenty-first century. They provide a framework delivering international visibility and informal outreach. Based on a mandate of scholarly independency, an institute like Egmont also constitutes a window for thinking out of the box. As academic diplomacy, cyber diplomacy and diplomatic education are all gaining in importance, we recognize that Egmont plays a critical role to complement formal Belgian foreign policy. In today’s turbulent world, can such a venue for diplomatic and scholarly deliberation be missed?

Throughout my time in office, I have come to appreciate the work that Egmont delivers. I am delighted the institute can celebrate its seventieth anniversary and look back on a long series of accomplishments. Yet as it provides a hub for bringing scholarly talent and diplomatic expertise together, I am even more convinced that we need Egmont to look to the future that lies ahead. If Belgian diplomacy is to safeguard the interests of our society and promote the values we cherish – even in the turbulent world that presents itself today – it is imperative to always adapt and strive to progress.