Abstract
This chapter provides an assessment of the partnerships between the European neutral states and NATO since the end of the Cold War. Austria, Finland, Ireland, Sweden and Switzerland’s maintenance of long-standing policies of neutrality reflects a logic of ‘if ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ A radically changed European security environment and a ‘new’ NATO, however, also led the European neutral states to become proactive partners of NATO. Reflecting their vulnerability to Russia, Finland and Sweden have opted for maximalist policies of ‘everything but membership’. Austria, Ireland and Switzerland’s relations with NATO have been more limited and focused primarily on peacekeeping. As NATO re-focuses on collective defence against Russia, this divergent pattern of partnership with the various European neutral states is likely to be reinforced.
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Notes
- 1.
The Maastricht Treaty, under which the European Community (EC) became the European Union (EU) , was negotiated in 1990–91 and entered into force in 1993. Thus when Sweden and Finland applied to join the body it was the EC, but by the time membership negotiations were completed and they joined in 1995 it had become the EU. For simplicity, the term EU is used here.
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Cottey, A. (2018). The Europe Neutrals and NATO: Future Prospects. In: Cottey, A. (eds) The European Neutrals and NATO. New Security Challenges. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59524-9_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59524-9_9
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