Recasting the security bargains: Germany, European security policy and the transatlantic relationship

Abstract

This article analyses recent developments in European Union (EU) security policy and their implications for Germany's bilateral relations with France, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. It contends that the development of a greater EU security capability has significantly affected Germany's bilateral relations with the USA and Germany's main European partners. This has resulted in a recasting of the previous transatlantic security bargains of the Cold War period. Greater expectations on behalf of France and the UK concerning German involvement in military security within the Common European Security and Defence Policy (CESDP) have also affected Germany's approach to security policy-making.