Bringing Back the ‘D’ in the CSDP
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2021-06-24
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en
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The policy realms of security and defence have long remained largely excluded from the process of European integration. However, after the publication of the EU Global Strategy in 2016, a fundamental change took place in the perception of the role of common defence within the Union, which materialised in EU-funded military R&D, procurement, and capability coordination policies. This thesis seeks to explain this fundamental change through a historical materialist framework. Using a conjunctural analysis which looks at the junction of larger structural processes with the social struggle of important agents for political power, an explanatory narrative is reconstructed which seeks to explain the outcome while capturing the complexity of the EU policymaking process by including political, institutional, economic and ideological aspects. The empirical analysis points to an increasing intertwinement of the organised security and defence sector with EU policymakers, most notably the European Commission, which enabled this sector to shape the very policies that would benefit them. Together, defence corporations and EU institutions were able to foster wide support for defence integration policies through a strong ideational narrative emphasising economic benefits for European citizens as well as the necessity of a ‘strategically autonomous EU’ able to militarily defend itself and economically compete globally. Although a well-organised counter-movement emerged from civil society, they were unable to sufficiently challenge this narrative, and the first pillars of a ‘Defence Union’ were established.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen