Old Europe, New Security

Many of the US criticisms of Western Europeans reluctance to engage in the 2004 war in Iraq come from a perception that these governments are 'weak on defense' and unwilling to 'pull their own weight' in the international system. Secretary Rumsfeld pejoratively designated traditional Atlantic Alliance allies as 'Old Europe', to distinguish them from the freshly minted, cooperative states of 'New Europe'. Thus, Rumsfeld accused Old Europe of yet again relying on the United States to solve what, in truth, are shared security problems. This volume argues for a different explanation of Western Europe choices and policies. Key to the thesis is that Western Europeans, rather than shirking on defense, instead are expanding the set of tools they have to apply to the post-Cold War array of security and defense problems. Rather than a primary reliance on military force as first line defense, they are developing instruments that rely on economics, diplomacy, even engagement by negotiation for a special relationship or for membership. This volume examines the emergent European security approach from multiple perspectives, in multiple institutions and identities, and in different geographic contexts.