Europe: Greater Autonomy, Better Allies
Europe’s greater strategic autonomy alone will not provide European security, argues Dominika Kunertova in this CSS Policy Perspective. The Sino-American rivalry is an opportunity for Europe to boost its conventional defense capabilities while galvanizing the transatlantic partnership with a new Chinese dimension.
German Chancellor Scholz and French President Macron attend a news conference at the Elysee Palace, December 10, 2021. Thibault Camus / Reuters
Key Points
- European defense debates should put more emphasis on autonomy to (act), rather than autonomy from (great powers).
- European countries need to improve the readiness of their armed forces; yet developing a full spectrum of capabilities is unrealistic, i.e. include a nuclear deterrent.
- To keep the US nuclear umbrella over Europe and protect European security interests, European countries should achieve greater strategic autonomy with their conventional capabilities and within a rebalanced transatlantic relationship.
- This means they should 1) unburden the US in Europe by developing more capable conventional defense forces and 2) form a European “Quad” to help the US meet the challenge from China in the economic and technology domains.