Editorial - European Union security governance: from integration to strategic autonomy

Abstract

All traditional concepts are being rendered obsolete by a rapidly changing reality, one that is sufficiently complex to preclude any confident discernment of emerging trends (Moreira, 2014). The European Union (EU) is an intricate project: each step forward has depended on a delicate equilibrium. Its success has often been portrayed as a “miracle” (Jones, 2003)—one underpinned by an international security architecture that now hangs in the balance. As confidence in the American security umbrella wavers, EU leaders are pressing for more tangible and autonomous capabilities, particularly in the security domain. “This must be Europe’s Independence Moment,” declared von der Leyen in 2025. Achieving greater resilience will require European countries to set aside differences and take bold steps towards a unified front, as shown possible by the collective support for Ukraine’s defence.