| ID | 103196 |
| Title Proper | Balancing beyond the horizon? explaining aggregate EU naval military capability changes in a neo-realist perspective |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Kluth, Michael Friederich ; Pilegaard, Jess |
| Publication | 2011. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | The present paper seeks to make sense of recent European Union (EU) naval capability changes by applying neo-realist theory to the EU as a collective actor in the global balance of power. The paper compares two different strands of neo-realist theory by deducing key predictions about the expected naval posture of the Union and the corresponding expected changes in capabilities. These predictions are subsequently held up against post-cold war data on naval acquisitions in the EU. The paper concludes that the observed patterns are best explained not as bandwagoning with the USA, but as a long-term balancing strategy aimed at bolstering the autonomy and international influence of the Union vis-a-vis other major powers, including the USA. |
| `In' analytical Note | European Security Vol. 20, No. 1; Mar 2011: p.45 - 64 |
| Journal Source | European Security Vol. 20, No. 1; Mar 2011: p.45 - 64 |
| Key Words | Neo - Realism ; EU ; Balancing ; Naval |