We are publishing this issue of the Future Europe Journal in the first days of the new legislative term. With the world changing at the speed of light and new challenges and threats emerging daily, only time will tell what issues and projects will mark these upcoming five years of the EU’s history. However, one thing is clear as day: defence and security have never been higher on the EU priorities list.
The past few years have put an end to all illusions. The initial shock and far-reaching repercussions of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine have caused wake-up moments and U-turns on both the national and European levels. The previous EU mandate has thus firmly brought the long-overdue issue of defence back to the discussion table.
Yet, it is the task of this term’s legislators to set this agenda into motion: bring up uneasy controversial debates and find practical solutions that will lay the foundation of Europe’s security for the decades to come.
By now, the need to enhance Europe’s defence capabilities is largely acknowledged across the increasingly fragmented political spectrum. However, there is one key element of security that should not be overlooked or underplayed: defending Europe requires more than just military might. It also necessitates a reinforced imperative of safeguarding democracy and freedom on the continent. The very institutional underpinning of European unity and ability to act is conditioned upon well-functioning democratic institutions and a values-based common approach to collective decision-making.
Here is where the division lies between the liberals and the increased illiberal segment of the European political ecosystem. Security and defence traditionally form a quintessential part of the liberals’ agenda. It is no coincidence that the key positions in this domain are occupied by members of the liberal family, from Mark Rutte, the Secretary-General of NATO, to the liberals chairing the SEDE Subcommittee on Security and Defence at the European Parliament.
There is no security and peace without freedom. It is the special task of the liberals to safeguard this fundamental link between the two underlying pillars of the European project.
Anticipating the forthcoming debates on defence and security, this special issue provides liberals with a go-to reference point on some of the most pressing dilemmas in these domains. For this, we have brought together some of the best expertise from across Europe to share reflections on the geopolitical, economic, and societal aspects of European security and defence.
The first bloc of contributions concerns the questions of strategy and geopolitics: how to better support Ukraine in winning the devastating and unequal battle while simultaneously making Europe a better fit for modern security challenges? In the first section, leading experts from the EU, NATO, and Ukraine share their vision of Europe’s security strategy for the future: from the EU’s role in transatlantic security governance to an institutional setup that would correspond to the new realities.
The second section addresses the practicalities of defending Europe. The basis of the continent’s security is a well-integrated European defence market facilitated by an adequate policy framework on the EU level. Contributions in this section focus on the specifics and needs of the defence industry as well as relevant policy measures to meet them. Articles by academics and civil society experts are complemented by notes from the key European industries, presenting a two-sided perspective on strengthening this strategic sector of the European economy.
The third section uncovers the implications of democratic decline and illiberal tendencies for the continent’s security. From populism and disinformation to corruption and breaches of the rule of law, socio-political trends and phenomena both in the EU and in its neighbourhood are reshaping the security landscape of Europe. How can we preserve freedom and democracy and thus safeguard Europe from internal threats to peace and stability? The articles by experts and intellectuals from across the continent shed light on what the EU should do for long-term success in this fundamental area.
The upcoming five years present a litmus test for Europe’s ability to defend itself from the outside as well as from within. This collection of papers should give European liberals enough food for thought at the start of this new and very important era in European history.
