The Making of European Security Policy: Between Institutional Dynamics and Global Challenges

The changing nature of the international system is subject to considerable contestation among scholars, with many claiming that the fundamentals of the post-war international system are being rewritten. We are in a world where the rules-based system that has been in place since the end of the Second World War is being challenged. Freedom and democracy are contracting while at the same time the United States is moving away from multilateralism and retreating from its global leadership role. New powers, such as China, are emerging to claim their place on the international scene.

This volume brings together prominent scholars in the field of European security to address a range of pertinent issues related to Europe’s role in the context of these evolving global challenges. The first section focuses on whether the EU is an actor with a strategic nature and the wherewithal to act on a global security strategy. The second section considers the institutional dynamics and the approaches at the EU’s disposal to fulfil its possible intended global roles. The third section addresses Europe’s most important strategic relationship—the partnership it has with the United States. This section considers the recalibration of the transatlantic relationship in light of the changing international system and the reorientation of U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump.