‘Working together, thinking differently?’ A presentation on the development of the strategic culture of the EU through the study of ESDP

Margaras, Vasilis. (2009) ‘Working together, thinking differently?’ A presentation on the development of the strategic culture of the EU through the study of ESDP. In: UNSPECIFIED. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

The paper studies the emergence of the strategic culture of the European Union through the development of ESDP. It argues that ESDP should not only be judged in terms of missions and institutions. It should be also studied at a cognitive level. Therefore, researchers should take into account the practices and ideas of policy officials when it comes to the planning and implementation of ESDP police and military missions. The paper examines the development of these ESDP ideas and practices by conducting a study of the strategic culture of the EU. It argues that ideas, beliefs and practices that policy officials hold on the use of force really matter. However, ideas cannot be studied independently but need to be taken into account within a comprehensive framework of study which includes issues related to the question of structure and agency. The evolution of history is important. Ideas on security issues are developed by historic events which enrich the experiences of a particular collective which deals with issues of security. Ideas are also shaped by the deployment of the EU’s ESDP missions. Daily interaction of officials in various crisis spots is an important factor in the shaping of the strategic culture of the EU. This is because the experiences of police and military forces provide feedback to the decision-making mechanisms of the EU which is influencing the strategic thinking of the Europeans.

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