The challenge of a common strategic culture in the European Common Defence Project

By Lorenzo Izzi

The European security environment is changing rapidly following Donald Trump’s repeated statements. His administration has shown how Europe is not a U.S. priority anymore, and many European leaders have declared their public commitment to a common European defence project as part of the EU policy of supporting Ukraine. However, one of the pressing challenges this project presents is the issue of strategic culture. This concerns the role that such a defence project will have in the framework of European foreign policy, as many Member States have profound disagreements on the role of force in international politics. Germany is a key example in this case: for historical reasons, the country needs wide international legitimacy to even think about using force. Countries like France, on the other hand, are much more willing to put boots on the ground and present a strategic doctrine in which the armed forces play a key role in hindering or coercing competitors. 

NATO seems to be getting less relevant, potentially losing its ability to deter any malicious actors that threaten European soil, and failing to retain its status as a leverage tool for the EU’s power in the international sphere. If EU countries do not agree on a common strategic culture, these differences will potentially undermine the credibility of the European Union, eroding its priorities and physical security.