EU Security and Defence Policy: Legitimacy and Capability

Abstract

This book investigates the political dynamics of the ESDP, which is a ‘subset’ of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). The ESDP refers to security and defence policy only, whereas the CFSP refers to the entire foreign policy portfolio of the EU. As discussed in the preceding chapter, the main issue is the use of military force as part of the ESDP. An operation run by the EU usually consists of many civilian tools as well, and in fact the majority of EU operations to date are non-military, as detailed below. But the EU has ambitions to be a military actor to a much greater extent than hitherto, and this presents it with special challenges. As we have seen, a modern PSO concerns much more than military force, but the deployment of these tools of foreign policy is not particularly controversial. It is the use of force that is difficult, both for legitimacy as well as for capacity reasons.