Making Europe Defend Again: The Relaunch of European Defense Cooperation from a Neoclassical Realist Perspective

Abstract

This article examines the relaunch of European defense cooperation since
2016 from the perspective of neoclassical realism, a theoretical approach to
the study of foreign policy which explores how domestic political and
ideational factors shape national foreign policy responses to international
systemic pressures. It argues that while Europe’s changing geostrategic and
security environment has created incentives for increased defense
cooperation, explaining the form and content of this cooperation requires
understanding the preferences of key European states, especially France
and Germany. The article focuses on two new forms of European defense
cooperation: PESCO and the E21, the former inside the EU institutional
framework and the latter outside of it. The article argues that these
initiatives are explained by the contrast between French and German
preferences on defense cooperation, which in turn reflect their divergent
national security priorities but also their different strategic cultures,
including their differing perspectives on European integration.