What are the EU’s Grand Strategic Options in Response to American Restraint?

Abstract

This paper will examine European options to respond to American restraint. What does it take to keep the U.S. engaged in Europe? Is increased defense spending enough? What alternative policies could Europe adopt in response to American restraint? What does it mean to increase self-sufficiency? What would assertiveness entail? If such options are to be implemented, is the E.U. the best option to enact such a grand strategic posture? The paper engages in this intellectual thought experiment, using IR theory alongside empirical evidence. It will outline three grand strategic scenarios, and engage in a first attempt to describe a possible, grand strategic landscape for European action.

Panel: European Grand Strategy

All papers

EISS 2018 programme

@inproceedings{eiss-2018-what-are-the-eu-s-grand-strategic-options-in-response-to-american-restraint,
  author = {Marina Henke and Paul van Hooft},
  title = {What are the EU’s Grand Strategic Options in Response to American Restraint?},
  booktitle = {European Security Studies Conference 2018},
  year = {2018},
  url = {https://eiss-europa.com/papers/2018-what-are-the-eu-s-grand-strategic-options-in-response-to-american-restraint.html}
}