Leiden University Student Repository

Somsen, Emmelien (2020)

Change over time in European security and defence cooperation

Bachelor thesis | International Studies (BA)

This dissertation aimed to understand why countries who were initially against enhanced cooperation within PESCO, subsequently joined the initiative upon its establishment in 2017. In answering this question, it was essential to understand what explains change over time in the security and defence policy of a state. To answer why countries change their perspectives on enhanced cooperation, this dissertation has applied the theory of neoclassical realism. Neoclassical realism understands that interaction between two actors influences international outcomes, while taking into account how domestic factors influence these outcomes. Neoclassical realism is based on a struggle for power and security between states and helps to understand foreign policy outcomes at different times. This theory was applied to the Netherlands, to analyse how changes in the external environment of the Netherlands affected its security and defence policy.

PESCO

European defence

Enhanced cooperation

Differentiated integration

Neoclassical realism

Author

Somsen, Emmelien

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

Europe

Supervisors

Broad, Matthew

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en