EU and NATO : security in the "new" new world order

Abstract

The creation of NATO in 1949 was born out of the West/East divide forged in the aftermath of World War II. Fearing that Western Europe may fall victim to the USSR, the US committed itself to the cause of Western security. The USSR's demise at the beginning of the 1990's, created a unique opportunity for the European economic success story to be replicated through the assumption of a more active political role. Such a stance invariably requires the development of an autonomous security personality. Although concerted efforts were made by the EU treaties in the 90's cementing the role of the Western European Union within its CFSP framework, events in the Balkans revealed that the Community was still al long way off from being a regional powerhouse. The events surrounding the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the first invocation of Article 5 was interpreted as a sign that the Alliance would once again prove its worth. However, American unilateralism dispelled such hopes prompting the EU to continue its pursuit of an ESDP framework. The successive plethora of mechanisms introduced by NATO acknowledged the fact that the EU needs to attain a degree of security autonomy. On its part, the EU affirmed that NATO's assistance is still required. The two cannot go their separate ways in a "new" new world order characterised by instability and uncertainty.