Politica de apărare europeană: între ambiţii şi limitări strategice
The European defense policy, between ambitions and strategic limitations

Summary/Abstract: Following the systemic changes emerged after the end of the Cold War, the European Union faced with new challenges that required a more holistic approach regarding its roles and responsibilities in the security and defense realms. Despite de ambitious agenda assumed in the ‘90s, EU did not succeed to develop a coherent platform of action in forging credible military capabilities so that to allow it to assume a higher profile role on defense matters. The divergent perspectives shared by the member states as regards the security priorities and the financial difficulties came to complicate even harder the UE ability to invest in defense. The countries remain highly reluctant to give up at their national sovereign rights over defense undermining the integration efforts and putting on hold various military cooperative projects proposed within the UE aiming at strengthening the European defense efficiency. Nevertheless, the changing security environment under the impact of Russia’s new assertiveness in the East and the return of “power politics” as the central paradigm of the emerging security landscape require a fundamental shift in the European mindset acknowledging that the new security threats can not be any more managed through civilian and normative principles. The article concludes that the EU member states seem unable to forge a unitary vision and to find the appropriate solutions to harmonize their national and individualist claims with the emerging security and defense imperatives.

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