Compass and Sextant: New Perspectives in the EU’s Defence Policy

Abstract

The European Union is currently facing unprecedented security challenges. The migration crisis in the south and Russia’s war in the east are testing the EU’s ability to respond. In recent years, several initiatives have placed the EU’s common defence policy on the Member States’ agenda. From the Permanent Structured Cooperation to the Strategic Compass, the EU has various new options at its disposal, but are they sufficient to deal with a conventional military conflict? The forthcoming second Hungarian Presidency in the second half of 2024 will be taking up the baton in a more uncertain and unpredictable international and European context than usual. The continent’s security depends on the concrete responses of the Council of Heads of State and Government and the European Commission in a fragile security situation. The current situation highlights the need for a new type of security policy that focuses on human security rather than a traditional militarily approach.