The End of Transatlanticism? EU Security and Defence Policies and the ‘Strategic Autonomy’
The End of Transatlanticism? EU Security and Defence Policies and the ‘Strategic Autonomy’

Debate from a Historical and Contemporary Perspective

Summary/Abstract: This article examines whether calls for European ‘strategic autonomy’in response to Trump’s rhetoric are qualitatively different from earlier disagreements in US-EU relations. By doing so, it re-assesses GeirLundestad’s concept of “Empire by Invitation” to illustrate constraintsfor the development of such an autonomy especially in defence affairs. Weargue that the US’s involvement in European defence affairs was neveran invitation to ‘empire’, as the invitational aspect was based on consent.A process has been accelerated by the Trump presidency whereby thisconsent has shifted towards strategic estrangement. However, the articleargues that the reactive and intergovernmental nature of EU foreign andsecurity policy continues to hamper more autonomous policy planningin CSDP matters – different readings about cyclical disruptions inEU-US relations notwithstanding. The article fi nally discusses how theintroduction of new CSDP mechanisms impacts on this debate.

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