The future of European security and defence : keeping the Americans in?

Abstract

Through his remarks deriding the contribution of European states towards their individual and collective defence, President Donald Trump has sown seeds of doubt into the prospects for the transatlantic relationship. Yet a wider review of this relationship, and security and defence efforts within the EU, shows less cause for alarm. The EU’s development of its own security and defence identity and strategic autonomy independent of the United States is being pursued. It may be argued that developing and strengthening its political and strategic identity within a European and world order in flux may allow it to maintain a more cohesive political union, and strengthen its value as a strategic partner within the transatlantic alliance. Security has always been at the heart of European Integration. Identifying and formulating a common European strategy has been a challenge, yet considerable progress has been made in cultivating a common European strategic outlook. Moreover, the current international milieu provides the EU, and its member states, with the opportunity to focus on building its strategic autonomy and common outlook, and in the process seek to cultivate a common strategic culture that may generate greater cohesion. Furthermore, cooperation with the United States and NATO will remain at the heart of Europe’s strategic activity, and ultimately, EU strategic culture for the foreseeable future. Moreover, the ability to rely on NATO’s (and the U.S.) hard power will allow the EU to focus more effectively on civilian security capabilities and its soft power as a global actor.