To what extent has European integration promoted security and stability in post-Cold War Europe?

Résumé du document

According to E. Bomber and A. Stubb (2003) , the European integration is ‘a process by which sovereign states relinquish (surrender or pool) national sovereignty to maximize their collective power and interests.' We notice that European integration involves different institutions where states relinquish their sovereignty: the European Community, (EC) the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), the Western European Union (WEU) or even NATO, that ‘played an active role in shaping the emerging political and security architecture in Europe'. (Stirk & Weigall, 1999 ) Brigid Laffan distinguishes three components of European Integration: the economic, political and military integration. In relation to our question, we can say that ‘security' stands for the military integration and ‘stability' refers to economic and political stability.

We will define the post-Cold War Europe starting in 1989, with the fall of the Berlin Wall, (the symbol of the end of the Cold War) and ending in 2004, which refers to the accession of the post communist European states.

We shall analyze the success of European integration in promoting the security and stability in post-Cold War Europe as well as the failure of carrying out this mission, utilizing each time the distinction set down by Brigid Laffan.