Geopolitical Change, Grand Strategy and European Security; The EU-NATO Conundrum in Perspective

x, 286, [6] pages. Figures. Maps. Tables. Notes. Bibliography. Index. This is one of The European Union in International Affairs series. Examining the interplay between geopolitics, the strategic priorities of Europe's most powerful nations, Britain, Germany and France, and the evolution of NATO and CSDP, this book unveils the mechanics of the tension between conflict and cooperation that lies at the heart of European security politics. Luis Simón is Senior Analyst and Director of the Elcano Royal Institute's Brussels Office, in addition of being Research Professor of International Relations at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. He holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of London, and a MA in European Studies from the Institute d'Etudes Politiques de Paris. He is or has been a visiting professor at the NATO School, the European Security and Defence College, l'Ecole Nationale d'Administration, the US Army War College, the Geneva Centre for Security Policy and the Baltic Defence College, among others. His articles have been published in prestigious journals, such as International Affairs, The Journal of Strategic Studies, Geopolitics, Orbis, Survival, The RUSI Journal, Comparative Strategy, Parameters and The International Spectator. He is a co-founder and senior editor of the online magazine European Geostrategy, and a member of the editorial board of Parameters: The US Army War College Quarterly. European countries have much in common. They are geographically and culturally closed and they all face the problems of relative weakness vis-s-vis larger actors. However, while their many similarities lead them to cooperate, their geopolitical differences and specificities translate into conflicting priorities over how to arrange the terms of cooperation. European security is hence defined by a powerful tension between conflict and cooperation. And Europe's most powerful countries largely delineate the mechanics of such tension. By examining the interplay between geopolitical change, British, French and German grand strategy and the evolution of NATO and the European Union's (EU) Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) between 2001 and 2010, this book seeks to shed light on the nature and evolution of European security. This book is thus fundamental reading.…