Abstract
As a result of the pro-disarmament discourse stemming from the Humanitarian Turn in nuclear disarmament, there has been a growing salience of domestic voices in European countries which contribute to NATO's nuclear mission. At least prior to the Russia's invasion of Ukraine, many of these voices advocated for strong steps towards nuclear disarmament. But how do the technocrats, who often shape the policy, view the public view; and how do they engage with it? Drawing on unique study of technocratic responses to nuclear sharing contestation in all five host nations in Europe, I advance a technocratic theory of nuclear sharing, which takes democratic responsiveness seriously. Drawing on the work in the field of political and democratic theory, I develop a model of technocratic response to political contestation; which I then test against existing empirical record.
Panel: Weapons of Mass Destruction: Non-Proliferation and Arms Control