Mihai Chihaia is a Policy Analyst in the Europe in the World Programme at the European Policy Centre (EPC). He focuses primarily on EU security and defence policies, the implementation of the Strategic Compass, military mobility, and maritime security. His work consists of drafting policy content, strategic convening and building partnerships with key stakeholders.
Before joining EPC, Mihai was part of the Security and Defence Programme of the German Marshall Fund of the United States and worked on transatlantic relations, NATO policies and US foreign policy. Prior to that he worked in the Secretariat General of the European Commission.
Mihai Chihaia holds a BA in International Relations and European Studies and a MA in Security Studies and European Integration from the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Romania combined with different scholarships at University of Beira Interior and Tel Aviv University where he gained firsthand insights on security, defence and EU-Middle East relations.
Policy project: (Achieving) Strategic autonomy at sea: EU as a maritime security actor
The strategic importance of the maritime domain has significantly grown in the past years. At the same time, a variety of maritime security threats pose important challenges: threats to critical subsea infrastructure, potential blockage of essential chokepoints, trafficking of arms, piracy, competition for resources, hybrid warfare as well as potential conventional naval conflict. The maritime dimension is essential to EU’s economy and trade and should be central to political debates on EU’s global role.
Against this background of increased competition and threats, how can the EU better anticipate and prepare for future developments in the maritime domain?
In the first instance, this project will map the current EU maritime security priorities and the actions taken at EU level. Secondly, the project aims to develop a maritime security scenario taking place in the 2030s.
Using the foresight method back-casting, I will envision an undesirable future situation and then work back in time to identify events that lead to this specific scenario. The aim is to highlight policies and measures that could be currently pursued in the maritime domain to tackle emerging threats and avoid this kind of future outcome.
Contributions
What Europe Thinks … about European Security and Defense
There is overwhelming support for greater defense efforts within the EU, with citizens considering it one of their most important concerns. The EU now needs to bridge the gap between rhetoric and action.
