The end of civilian power EU: a welcome demise or cause for concern?

The article argues that despite the current weaknesses of the EU’s defence dimension, it is clearly now abandoning its civilian power image. The article questions the assumptions lying behind such a move – especially that the EU will be unable to act effectively in international affairs unless it can use military instruments. The security threats facing the EU are not necessarily ones best confronted with military instruments, and the EU risks generating a "security dilemma" itself, if outsiders feel threatened by the development of its defence dimension. The EU is renouncing its contribution to a different kind of international relations, based on civilian power. This shift should be cause for more thought than currently seems to be the case.