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The panel addressed the strategically significant question:
“Does Europe need an army? How should the element of Europe’s new military capabilities be designed?”
Hosted in Poland — a country widely recognized as one of Europe’s most proactive advocates of increased defense spending, rapid military modernization, and strengthened deterrence along NATO’s eastern flank — the debate took place within a highly relevant geopolitical context.
Strategic Context
Poland has emerged as a frontline state in Europe’s evolving security architecture, significantly increasing its defense budget and reinforcing its military posture in response to the war in Ukraine and broader instability in Eastern Europe. Against this backdrop, the discussion focused on whether Europe should:
- Develop a unified European army,
- Deepen the integration of existing national military capabilities, or
- Strengthen EU defense mechanisms while preserving NATO primacy.
Key Issues Discussed
- European Army vs. NATO Framework
Would a European military structure complement NATO, or risk creating parallel command systems? - Command Structure and Sovereignty
How can collective defense capabilities be strengthened without undermining national sovereignty? - Defense Industrial and Technological Base
The necessity of expanding Europe’s defense production capacity and strategic autonomy. - Strategic Deterrence and Transatlantic Relations
Can Europe ensure credible deterrence while maintaining a strong transatlantic partnership?
Contribution of Prof. Dr. Iulian Chifu
Prof. Dr. Chifu contributed to the analytical dimension of the debate by emphasizing the importance of institutional design, interoperability, and strategic coherence. Drawing on his experience both within Romanian strategic institutions and as Senior Research Fellow of INIS, he highlighted that the central question is no longer whether Europe should strengthen its military capabilities, but rather how these capabilities should be structured in a sustainable, politically legitimate, and strategically effective manner.
The discussion reflected a broader European reassessment of defense policy in light of prolonged conflict in Ukraine, uncertainty regarding long-term U.S. engagement in European security, and the need for enhanced resilience within the EU framework.
INIS is proud that its Senior Research Fellow contributed to this high-level strategic debate shaping the future of European security architecture.
Share
The panel addressed the strategically significant question:
“Does Europe need an army? How should the element of Europe’s new military capabilities be designed?”
Hosted in Poland — a country widely recognized as one of Europe’s most proactive advocates of increased defense spending, rapid military modernization, and strengthened deterrence along NATO’s eastern flank — the debate took place within a highly relevant geopolitical context.
Strategic Context
Poland has emerged as a frontline state in Europe’s evolving security architecture, significantly increasing its defense budget and reinforcing its military posture in response to the war in Ukraine and broader instability in Eastern Europe. Against this backdrop, the discussion focused on whether Europe should:
- Develop a unified European army,
- Deepen the integration of existing national military capabilities, or
- Strengthen EU defense mechanisms while preserving NATO primacy.
Key Issues Discussed
- European Army vs. NATO Framework
Would a European military structure complement NATO, or risk creating parallel command systems? - Command Structure and Sovereignty
How can collective defense capabilities be strengthened without undermining national sovereignty? - Defense Industrial and Technological Base
The necessity of expanding Europe’s defense production capacity and strategic autonomy. - Strategic Deterrence and Transatlantic Relations
Can Europe ensure credible deterrence while maintaining a strong transatlantic partnership?
Contribution of Prof. Dr. Iulian Chifu
Prof. Dr. Chifu contributed to the analytical dimension of the debate by emphasizing the importance of institutional design, interoperability, and strategic coherence. Drawing on his experience both within Romanian strategic institutions and as Senior Research Fellow of INIS, he highlighted that the central question is no longer whether Europe should strengthen its military capabilities, but rather how these capabilities should be structured in a sustainable, politically legitimate, and strategically effective manner.
The discussion reflected a broader European reassessment of defense policy in light of prolonged conflict in Ukraine, uncertainty regarding long-term U.S. engagement in European security, and the need for enhanced resilience within the EU framework.
INIS is proud that its Senior Research Fellow contributed to this high-level strategic debate shaping the future of European security architecture.
