The European Union's Foreign Policy Future

Abstract

This chapter answers if the European Union should create a unified military force. The European Union currently faces problems both internally and also an unstable European neighbourhood. There are different theoretical perspectives on how Europe can and should perceive its role in the world. The chapter addresses these views, considers the relationship of the EU and NATO, and then comes to assess some of the issues the EU faces on its borders and in its neighbourhood, namely the refugee crisis, the conflict in Ukraine, and the recent conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. It then outlines if a European military could help the EU achieve better peace than the current situation. This chapter argues that the European Union needs to adopt a military in order to better achieve its goals of liberalisation and democratisation on its borders; however, it should be a last resort. There are also considerable practical matters to address to ensure that the EU military can be effective as a stabilising and peacekeeping force and doesn't undermine the very liberal goals the EU aims to follow.