The European army concept - an end-goal or a wake-up call for European security and defence?

• Main Authors: Sandro KNEZOVIC, Marco ESTEVES LOPES
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi 2020-12-01
• Series: Eastern Journal of European Studies
• Subjects: european army; defence and security; strategy; euro-atlantic community; international relations
• Online Access: https://ejes.uaic.ro/articles/EJES2020_1102_KNE.pdf

The article contextualises the concept of the European army within wider European security and defence discourse. The European Union (EU) is facing complex challenges, which requires a strategic approach to IR. This research examines the EU's strategic posture and capacities in the international arena by employing two leading concepts of IR theory - constructivism and realism. Since the EU operates in an interlinked world, the article takes into account a wider geostrategic environment and heterogeneity of concepts and interests of actors in various pockets of the globe, offering viable future perspectives for the phenomena in its focus. It suggests a functional development of a EU's strategic culture and a fine-tuned reconsideration of its exclusively constructivist approach to contemporary security challenges.