“PESCO 4”: the Role of Member States’ Ambitions in the Implementation of Defence and Security Projects of the European Union

The article clarifies the options for cooperation of 26 EU Member States within the framework of PESCO, which combine and develop their capabilities, which they would be unable to develop and implement separately. It is about developing defence capabilities, investment coordination, increasing operational readiness, operational interoperability and stability of their armed forces, and cooperation in various projects. It is emphasized on the various PESCO projects such as cyber, unmanned systems, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear surveillance and medical services. It is highlighted that the political impulse at the EU level and the internal politics of the EU Member States play an important role within the framework of PESCO. In addition, the personal affinity between leaders is important. It is emphasized that a tendency towards the identifying the group of leading states, which are focused on separate projects, has emerged within the framework of PESCO. From a leadership point of view, researchers single out the so-called group of states “PESCO 4” (France, Germany, Italy and Spain), whose role is interpreted as fundamental. These four countries possess geopolitical weight, security potential, and level of commitment, and they act as a real driving force, involving other Member States in the implementation of an increasing number of projects. The researchers have identified three groups of states within the framework of European defence cooperation: “Vanguard”, “Lukewarmers”, and “Vagabonds”. It is argued that the countries of the “Vanguard” and “PESCO 4” groups assume the greatest responsibility in the field of security and defence and other spheres as well. In this context, at the same time, it is about the competition between them, which is manifested in the involvement in the projects according to their economic, political and human potentials. It is noted that France is the undisputed leader in the EU defence cooperation, both at the institutional level and at the level of bilateral and multilateral security alliances outside the EU borders. Emphasis is placed on the perspective of researching the problems and challenges of implementing PESCO projects from the point of view of their relevance, compliance with the ambitious expectations of the states of the “PESCO 4” group, and the adequacy of the results that will be obtained by the Member States and the EU as a whole.