Defense Matters

There is no clear vision about where NATO is heading. There is a need for a new defense narrative that can counterbalance the growing public skepticism about the utility of armed forces. In the absence of an imminent military threat, armed forces increasingly have to do their own public diplomacy.

There is a general understanding that budget cuts will have implications for the EU’s and NATO’s military ambitions. How should NATO take part in the debate on defense spending? Is the debate a national one, or can issues be addressed at intergovernmental level? How should NATO and the EU improve their cooperation?

There is a need for a public debate on why defense matters. How can we convince European citizens of the importance of investing in defense? What can be expected from the December European Council on defense? Is there only one way to stimulate the debate on defense and NATO in member states, or is each country an individual case that can only be addressed in a specific, tailor-made way? Are national ambitions the key to convincing policymakers and populations that defense matters, or is the narrative of a more supranational European defense the only way forward?