The triumph of transatlanticism: NATO and the evolution of European security after the cold war

Abstract

The end of the Cold War and the resulting American drawdown of forces in Europe only seemed to confirm the need for a European Security and Defence Identity (ESDI) distinct from NATO. Differences over the scope and nature of the European pillar quickly derailed significant progress towards ESDI as some states, such as Great Britain or the Netherlands, insisted on the retention of NATO as the foundation of any European‐wide security structure while other states, mainly France, insisted on a Eurocentric security system. This essay examines the rise of new security concerns and risks, and the perceived inability of the existing institutions in the early 1990s to deal with these new threats. The policies and priorities of the major powers involved in the security of the region are analyzed against the backdrop of these new risks. The impact of these security issues and national interests are assessed on the reforms and adaptations undertaken since 1990, and the new structures and institutional arrangements that emerged from such reforms and adaptations are evaluated in the context of their ability to meet the new requirements of European security. Despite considerable debate, NATO emerged as the institution best suited to deal with the new security threats to Europe and to serve the national interests of the major West European powers, even to the point of fostering the development of an autonomous European defence indentity.