For a "New Realism" in European Defense: The Five Key Challenges an EU Defense Strategy Should Address (Europe Policy Briefs)

The idea of developing an EU defense strategy is gaining traction. To reinvent the EU as a credible defense actor, the next moves should be driven by a “new realism.” Despite the growing need for military power, Europe’s defenses are in a deplorable state, with a dysfunctional industrial base, little political unity, and a severely underdeveloped defense policy. To be more capable as a union, Europe must still to be guided by a global assessment — yet the EU must also become more selective if it wants sustainable results. The EU’s approach to defense has to undergo a phase of recovery and restraint. The initial step is a baseline assessment of today’s defense and industrial capabilities, where they will stand in 2030, and which improvements are possible. Flagship projects such as integrating NATO’s Framework Nation concept into the EU and launching a big European unmanned aerial vehicle program can help to implement such a new approach, while also offering short-term political boost.