Publication

This paper addresses plans of the British government to come up with a new Strategic Defence Review (SDR), commenting on the challenges involved. It highlights the pressure arising from the involvement in Afghanistan, assesses the implications of growing financial constraints and points to the British ambivalence regarding European integration in defense and security matters. The author argues that without a leadership role in the common European security and defence policy (ESDP), and in the EU more broadly, Britain's international position may well weaken.