Selective attention and perceptual priming
Selective attention is a crucial cognitive function that allows the human brain to focus on specific stimuli and filter out background noise, be it visual, auditory or conceptual. In other…
“Against stupidity we are defenseless”
“Against stupidity we are defenseless. Neither protests nor the use of force accomplish anything here; reasons fall on deaf ears; facts that contradict one’s prejudgment simply need not be believed—in…
Join White Paper for European Defence Readiness 2030
The European Commission has presented two strategic initiatives to strengthen the Union’s security and defence capability: the White Paper on European Defence – Readiness 2030 and the ReArm Europe/Readiness 2030…
Comments on the article by Federico Fubini: ‘Why Italy can’t choose between Trump and Europe’
https://www.corriere.it/economia/finanza/25_marzo_17/perche-l-italia-non-sa-scegliere-tra-trump-e-l-europa-le-7-verita-a-cui-gli-elettori-hanno-diritto-e-la-lezione-del-covid-dbc0ce20-49f5-4d06-b1bb-b9645aa7cxlk.shtml Follow
European Defense: Special meeting of the European Council (6 March 2025)
The European Council reaffirms the need for Europe to enhance its sovereignty, self-reliance in defense, and capacity to address current and future security threats. The war in Ukraine underscores the…
ReArm Europe initiative
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has introduced the “ReArm Europe” initiative, aiming to enhance the European Union’s defense capabilities in response to escalating security threats. The plan proposes…
A refusal by an undertaking in a dominant position to ensure that its platform is interoperable with an app of another undertaking, which thereby becomes more attractive, can be abusive
https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2025-02/cp250019en.pdf Follow
National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) on foreign investment and the protection of US national security interests
A National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) was issued with the stated purpose of encouraging foreign investment while safeguarding national security, particularly against potential threats posed by foreign adversaries such as…
IMF Blog on Trade Balances in China and the US
an IMF blog post https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2024/09/12/trade-balances-in-china-and-the-us-are-largely-driven-by-domestic-macro-forces Follow
US Wealth fund
The Executive Order directs the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Commerce to develop a plan within 90 days for the creation of a sovereign wealth fund. This…
Recommendation calling on EU Member States to review outbound investments
The European Commission has issued a Recommendation urging EU Member States to review outbound investments by their companies in non-EU countries, particularly in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and quantum technologies—three strategic…
Nord Stream 2: The General Court rejects the challenge to the directive extending internal gas market rules to pipelines originating from third countries.
Judgment of the General Court in Case T-526/19 RENV | Nord Stream 2 v Parliament and Council Follow
Cyberspace: Council approves declaration on a common understanding of application of international law to cyberspace
The Council of the European Union has approved a declaration outlining a shared understanding among the EU and its member states regarding the application of international law to cyberspace. This…
A quite interesting paper by RAND: Strategic blunders — serious missteps with unintended negative consequences — often stem from leaders relying on oversimplified or flawed mental models to navigate complex decisions
A quite interesting paper by RAND: Blinders, Blunders and Wars Follow
Security, Intelligence and the EU in the Report by Sauli Niinistö
Strengthening Europe’s preparedness is urgent as it faces heightened risks and uncertainty, marked by a severe pandemic, major war, and record heat. Sauli Niinistö, former Finnish President and Special Adviser…
Artificial Intelligence Index Report 2024 by Stanford University
https://aiindex.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/HAI_AI-Index-Report-2024.pdf Follow
ASPI’s two-decade Critical Technology Tracker: The rewards of long-term research
https://ad-aspi.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/2024-08/ASPIs%20two-decade%20Critical%20Technology%20Tracker_1.pdf?VersionId=1p.Rx9MIuZyK5A5w1SDKIpE2EGNB_H8r Follow
Quantum computers and cryptocurrencies
The threat quantum computing poses to cryptocurrency is likely overstated for the present but demands attention for the future. A report by Chinese researchers using a D-Wave quantum computer has…
IMF Working Paper: Changing Global Linkages: A New Cold War?
https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WP/Issues/2024/04/05/Changing-Global-Linkages-A-New-Cold-War-547357 Follow
The Fourth Annual Report on the Screening of Foreign Direct Investments into the Union
The Fourth Annual Report on the Screening of Foreign Direct Investments into the Union (COM(2024) 464 final), released by the European Commission on October 17, 2024, provides a comprehensive analysis…
ENCRYPTION BACKDOORS ON TRIAL
THE TELEGRAM CASE BEFORE THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS Follow
New Framework for Restrictive Measures on Hybrid Threats
The Council has introduced a new framework for restrictive measures in response to Russia’s destabilizing activities abroad. This framework allows the EU to impose sanctions on individuals and entities involved…
Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACAA)
https://www.congress.gov/118/bills/hr815/BILLS-118hr815enr.pdf Follow
The Enduring Conflict: Russia’s Perception of Security and the Insecurity of its Neighbors
Ivo Daalder, interviewed by Ian Bremmer, extensively discussed Russia’s perception of security, asserting that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is not destined to end with a simple negotiation or…
Biden Administration issues first CFIUS Veto prohibiting the acquisition by a Chinese owned cryptocurrency company of a real estate, and the operation of a cryptocurrency mining facility, in close proximity to ICBM base
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2335 Follow
Quantum Finance: a paper by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti
https://www.cdp.it/resources/cms/documents/CDP_Studio_Quantum_Finance.pdf Follow
Cognitive failure of international facts
The ‘cognitive failure of international facts‘ refers to a number of factors that can prevent politicians, analysts and observers from correctly understanding international events and making informed decisions. These factors…
EU Agrees to Fund Ukraine’s Defense with Profits from Frozen Russian Assets
The Member States of the European Union have agreed to use approximately €3 billion in profits from Russia’s frozen assets to buy weapons for Ukraine. This agreement involves profits from…
EU’s Strategic Response to Geopolitical Challenges Affecting the Single Market
Versailles Declaration (March 2022): Marked a major turning point in EU policy, emphasizing the need for greater European sovereignty and resilience in the face of global challenges.Granada Declaration (October 2023):…
The First United Nations General Assembly Resolution on Artificial Intelligence
On 21 March 2024, the UN General Assembly passed its resolution on Artificial Intelligence (AI), marking a significant, albeit subtle, move in the global discourse on AI regulation. This action…
Annulment of EU Sanctions Against Nikita Mazepin: The Limits of Associative Criteria
Judgment of the General Court in Case T-743/22 | Mazepin v Council Follow
The first-ever European Defence Industrial Strategy at EU level
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_1321 Follow
Provisions Regarding Access to Americans’ Bulk Sensitive Personal Data and Government-Related Data by Countries of Concern
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/03/05/2024-04594/national-security-division-provisions-regarding-access-to-americans-bulk-sensitive-personal-data-and Follow
Recommendation on the security and resilience of submarine cable infrastructures
The Recommendation on the security and resilience of submarine cable infrastructures presents a set of actions at national and EU level aimed at improving submarine cable security and resilience, through…
WHITE PAPER: How to master Europe’s digital infrastructure needs?
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/white-paper-how-master-europes-digital-infrastructure-needs Follow