The idea for a European military force is not new. Ideas of a European military force had been considered a key priority soon after the EU had been established in 1952, then in the form of a so...Show moreThe idea for a European military force is not new. Ideas of a European military force had been considered a key priority soon after the EU had been established in 1952, then in the form of a so-called ‘European Defence Community’, but were set aside after multiple disagreements in the 1950s. However, since the shift in the international order in the 1990s after the fall of the USSR, the general but slow shift in world powers tilting towards a rising China, the shift in the relationship with the U.S., and other continued military threats throughout the world, the EU has revoked its former stance on defence and security and has taken a variety of steps to develop this field. Yet, despite these threats, shifts and initiatives, an official and entirely European military force has never been achieved. Why has the EU only been able to come to the current level of cooperation and integration of EU defence and not any further? This thesis will argue that three obstacles have been important in this development.Show less
