Is European Defense a Bridge too Far

摘要

During the last several decades the European Union (EU) has not paid much attention to defense, to such an extent that it sometimes has been referred to as an 'economic giant, but a defense dwarf.' Bosnia, and later Kosovo, made obvious European defense shortcomings. Then, after the Cologne European Council of June 1999, the European Union launched the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) to complement its economic and political power with military power. Since then, European defense policy has developed considerably and the military capabilities of the European Union have been strengthened with initiatives such as the battle group concept and the development of an operational military staff. The recent rejections of the EU Constitution and the feeble commitment of member states to military capability, however, cast doubt on the future of common European defense. The goal of this paper is to review the ESDP initiative with a focus on its military development, utility, and international credibility. Is European Defense a bridge too far.