What Role for European Economic and Military Enablement in Deterrence?

Europe finds itself amid era-defining shifts in international politics. The 21st century is marked by renewed great power competition, yet no European state is sufficiently equipped to face alone the demands of a more coercive and competitive geopolitical environment. The global interconnection of public and private actors—across societies, value chains, goods and services, finance and information—often exceeds the means available to the state should it seek to secure the continuity of its organisation and, in Europe in particular, to sustain the social contract. It is undeniable that certain actors no longer wish to see any form of global governance endure, and particularly the European Union (EU) framework. Internally, this opposition takes the form of populist forces challenging the relevance of supranationality. Externally, it is embodied today by three major world powers that contest the very foundations and values of the EU, the United States (US), China and Russia. These