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 

CER podcast: Should we learn to live with a nuclear North Korea?

25 October 2017
Sophia Besch talks to Ian Bond about how likely it is that North Korea can be prevented from getting a strategic nuclear capability, the usefulness of sanctions against Pyongyang, and what to expect from President Trump’s forthcoming visit to Asia.

CER podcast: Peacekeepers for Ukraine?

11 October 2017
Sophia Besch talks to Luigi Scazzieri about Russian President Putin’s proposal to send a UN peacekeeping force to eastern Ukraine.

BBC World at One: Germany has economic interests in Brexit

09 October 2017
Sophia Besch speaks to the BBC World at One about the Brexit negotiations (from 12.00 mins).

The plan to save Europe

The Atlantic
07 October 2017
Emmanuel Macron’s dream of rescuing the EU isn’t going anywhere without Angela Merkel.

CER podcast: EU values and interests in the age of Trump

29 September 2017
Sophia Besch talks to Ian Bond about how the European Union can protect the international liberal order, as well as its security interests, when it can no longer rely on partnership with Trump’s America.

What does the German election mean for Brexit?

Deutsche Welle
28 September 2017
The next round of Brexit talks, planned for October, could be delayed until December, ostensibly due to a lack of progress on trade issues. However, drawn out coalition talks in Germany may also play a role.

China Business Network (CBN): German election results

25 September 2017
Sophia Besch speaks to China Business Network about the German election results (from 0.42).

CER podcast: Briefing on the German election

21 September 2017
Christian Odendahl and Sophia Besch discuss who is likely to win on Sunday, what the German election will mean for Europe, and what it will mean for Brexit negotiations.

Die SPD hätte mehr Sozialdemokratie wagen müssen

Makronom
04 September 2017
Spätestens nach dem TV-Duell dürfte klar sein, dass die Sozialdemokraten die Bundestagswahl verlieren werden.
Two years after opening Germany's doors to refugees, Angela Merkel stands tall. How has she done it?

Two years after opening Germany's doors to refugees, Angela Merkel stands tall. How has she done it?

The Telegraph
24 August 2017
It seems voters have not just forgiven Merkel for the refugee crisis, they have forgotten about it as well: immigration is ranked at the bottom of the list of topics influencing this year’s election, with only 29 per cent of voters citing it as an important issue.