The Development and Prospect of the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union – A Neo-realist Analysis

• Main Authors: Jiuan-Jiuan Shen, 沈娟娟
• Other Authors: 鄒忠科
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/35892967157592234280

博士 === 淡江大學 === 歐洲研究所博士班 === 102 === The creation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy in the Maastricht Treaty, the idea of expanding the cooperation to security issues with military meanings and the follow-up treaty reforms on CFSP must be viewed both against the specific security as well as the general political background. The international political environment -including the structure of the international system, the transatlantic relationship and European security issues as a whole- and the progress of European integration both have strong impact on the development of CFSP. This study will proceed through the lens of neo-realism. Neo-realism claims states will try to assure their security by maximizing power, but if doing so would risk undermining their security, they will only focus on security maximization and pursue milieu goals instead of possession goals. In anarchical self-help system, great powers have three main options: balancing, buckpassing and bandwagoning. After examining the historical, institutional and political background of the CFSP, this study find that EU member states’ cooperation in CFSP is more like a collective attempt at milieu shaping, seeking to maximize their security through the flexible uses of balancing, buckpassing and bandwagoning strategies. This study also find that the member states’ political wills to prevent the CFSP from being best equipped may be an important reason why CFSP has progressed poorly.