Towards a more secure Europe

Since autumn 2008, the financial crisis and its implications has dictated EU policies. The pressure on EU governments to control expenditure continue to be enormous. Defence spending has not been immune. This raises important questions about how the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) of the EU can function in this new environment and if it can even survive austerity.

Some commentators see it only as a question of choices – how much does defence matter and where does it stand in ...