‘There is no defense without a state, and there is no state without defense’. This is how the first events of the Shipping, Energy and Geopolitics Bocconi Student Association started on Monday 3rd of March. Made up of a panel of interesting speakers from different backgrounds, the discussion revolved around the much discussed and very contemporary topic of defense, its future and the progression of Europe along a common path.
In a welcoming commencement, Ms. Catherine de Vries, Professor for Political Science and Dean of Diversity and Inclusion at Bocconi University, walked the attendees along the history of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), pointing towards its role and outlining its position in the map of future Europe. She laid the foundation of the discussion, which built on the idea of a Europe that is progressing and changing, with the notable reference to Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic. Opening Pandora’s box, Professor de Vries stressed the need to address the issue of integration and multilateralism in a setting which is bound to change even more, especially with regards to the management of the pandemic and Brexit. Despite the need for this greater integration, Professor de Vriers also recognized the challenge of unity and further integration, pointing to the wide range of political institutions and ideologies that dominate Europe at the moment, hindering the removal of political obstacles towards fewer differences.
Following Professor de Vries’ talk, Professor Colli provided some much-needed historical insight on European integration. He pointed that close cooperation and coordination among European states dates back to the mid-19th century, referencing the cooperation of European states in their effort to prevent the Russia Empire from reaching the Black Sea. In the context of a post-Cold War era, deeply into globalization and fully immersed into automation and technological development, professor Colli additionally stressed the uncertainty that revolves around Europe’s future. Since ‘this isn’t just about defense’, politicians and risk analysts need to see ‘what’s next for Europe’ and its policy regarding a common defense system in an increasingly more uncertain world.
Following up on the idea of uncertainty about the future, Colonel Andrea Truppo argued that apart from determining what lies ahead for state defense systems and domestic considerations regarding military preparedness, European states ought to overcome another real challenge. The true challenge that lies ahead for Europe, according to Colonel Truppo, is none other than the harmonization of priorities as far as issues of importance are concerned. That is not to say that nations won’t need to have state of the art defense systems for their own purposes, but the logarithmically increasing need for coordination of security priorities means that unless European states coordinate, they will ‘no longer be relevant on their own’. In this sense, European policymakers should not turn away from the concepts of economy, efficiency and effectiveness, but they should embrace them by keeping in mind the need to preserve a national flavor in a growingly harmonizing environment.
The former minister of defense of Albania, Fatmir Mediu, was another firm supporter of integration, and strongly highlighted the role of the European Union and NATO as institutions representing unity and progress. Outlining that Europe’s three main pillars, the political, economic and defense pillar, need to be balanced equally well, Mr. Mediu drew on the current asymmetric threats that European states are facing and pointed to the need for more collective action. The current challenges that lie ahead for Europe, such as the 5G, space law and other hybrid threats, create the need for more investment towards coordinated action and a strengthening of European ties.
The fourth panel speaker, Andrea Venzon, approached the issue of a common European defense from the perspective of European autonomy and a possible detachment of the continent from greater international integration. He pointed to the growing chasm formed between the US and China, a result of a modernized and more globalized Cold War, and Europe’s challenge in having to choose between either titan or standing firmly alone. The puzzle of political cultures and ideologies that exists within Europe poses a challenge when it comes to the formulation of a common defense policy. Mr. Venzon argued that, given that Europe has a ‘tough period ahead to see what it stands for and why’, unless these differences are removed from the equation and some common structures are formed, the continent will have a hard time approaching the issue of a common defense system.
All speakers shared tow common elements. They all spoke of the need for a rejuvenating breath for Europe. Still struggling to overcome the pandemic that shattered any sense of normalcy, European countries have been called to overcome their differences and unite in the face of a common purpose. Their international cultural and political priorities differentiated them from one another, but their similar mindsets allow them to dream of a common defense system against the growing challenges. The reforming of the existing institutions, even the replacement with newer ones, will be a hard task, but might be a necessary one if we are to refer to some common European defense system in the next few years.
The second similar element among all speakers was the need to embrace the concept of ‘unity’. Whether this is in the form of NATO, the EU or both at the same time, the presenters recognized that, exactly because of the growing internationalization of threats and the increasingly more globalized economies that Europeans are now called to progress in, the adoption of common paths as far as the three pillars of politics, economy and defense are concerned will be pivotal.
In the next years, if we are to refer to some European defense system, policymakers have to combine elements of pragmatic thought, optimal decision making, feasible economic solution, viable military organization and, of course, the involvement of voices that come from as a heterogeneous climate as Europe.
Image source: https://unsplash.com/photos/8Yw6tsB8tnc
Originally publish at Shipping, Energy & Geopolitics Bocconi Student Association: https://segbsa.com/a-common-european-defense/