Stefan Lehne

Visiting Scholar
Carnegie Europe

Lehne is a visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe in Brussels, where his research focuses on the post–Lisbon Treaty development of the European Union’s foreign policy, with a specific focus on relations between the EU and member states.

Education

MA, International Relations, Fletcher School on Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University
JD, University of Vienna

Languages

English; French; German

Contact Information

Email Stefan Lehne
tel +32 2 220 3042
Press Inquiries

Resources

Stefan Lehne is a visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe in Brussels, where he researches the post–Lisbon Treaty development of the European Union’s foreign policy with a specific focus on relations between the EU and member states.

From 2009–2011, Lehne served as director general for political affairs at the Austrian Ministry for European and International Affairs. Prior to that position, from 2002–2008, he served the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union as director for the Balkans, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. Previously, he was head of the Task Force for Western Balkans and Central Europe. He has held a number of other appointments in the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was a researcher at the Austrian Institute for International Politics.

Lehne’s work on issues of European foreign and security policy has been widely published in a number of academic journals, including Integration, the Austrian Journal of Political Science, and Europa Archiv. In addition, he has authored a number of monographs on the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Article April 23, 2013

Serbia-Kosovo Deal Should Boost the EU’s Western Balkans Policy

The Serbia-Kosovo agreement proves that clever diplomacy combined with the power of the prospect of EU enlargement can still deliver significant results.

Article February 21, 2013

Promoting a Comprehensive Approach to EU Foreign Policy

Now is the time to unlock the full potential of the Lisbon reforms to ensure the unity, consistency, and effectiveness EU foreign policy.

Other Publications Europe in the World February 14, 2013

EU – Actor or Toolbox? How Member States Perceive the EU’s Foreign Policy

While EU member states commit to pursuing certain objectives together, they also continue to run their own national foreign policies.

Op-Ed World Politics Review February 4, 2013

Global Insider: Envoy Exchange Part of Promising Shift in Serbia-Kosovo Relations

Serbia and Kosovo agreed last month to exchange envoys for the first time in response to a broader European Union push for the two to improve relations.

Article December 14, 2012

The Role of Sanctions in EU Foreign Policy

The EU must take steps that will help it use sanctions more effectively, in order to build a union that is a well-rounded and strong international actor.

Strategic Europe November 14, 2012

The Review of the European External Action Service in 2013

The review of the European External Action Service will offer an important first opportunity to assess the strengths and weaknesses of this new instrument, to address some of its shortcomings, and to give a new impetus to its further development.

Article October 30, 2012

Europe’s Security Opportunity

Rather than worry about the implications of diminishing U.S. engagement, the EU should focus on preparing for this challenge and should welcome the opportunity to develop a more equitable partnership with the United States.

Op-Ed European Voice September 20, 2012

A More Ambitious Europe?

The eurozone crisis is not only having a devastating effect on Europe itself but has also severely damaged European foreign policy prospects for the next decade.

Strategic Europe September 14, 2012

Kosovo and Serbia: The Next Step Toward Normal Relations

Only an active mediator with great influence on both sides can overcome the resistance to a compromise solution between Kosovo and Serbia. The EU is today in a position to play this role.

Paper July 5, 2012

The Big Three in EU Foreign Policy

The EU acts as a bloc with all 27 member states discussing issues and unanimously making decisions, but behind the scenes lies a tacit agreement that the Big Three, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, take the lead on foreign policy.

September 26, 2012 Brussels

The Big Three in EU Foreign Policy

As the EU struggles with the ongoing euro crisis, the attitude of the "big three" will crucially influence the future scope and direction of its role in international relations.

March 15, 2012 Brussels

The Arab Awakening One Year On: What Kind of Partner Can Europe Be?

A year has passed since the first uprisings in Tunisia spurred a fundamental change in the dynamics of Europe’s southern neighborhood, creating a host of domestic and external challenges for the region and its neighbors.

February 2, 2012 Brussels

More Action, Better Service: How to Strengthen the European External Action Service

The European External Action Service suffers from a number of design flaws including a lack of genuine buy-in on the parts of key stakeholders, such as the member states and the European Commission.

October 5, 2011 Brussels

Leon Panetta from Tripoli to Chicago: Charting NATO's Future on the Way to the 2012 Summit

NATO is facing a number of serious challenges from the current fiscal and security environment and the successful realization of the alliance’s security responsibilities requires dependable partners that more equitably share the ensuing burden.