Hype or Reality? An Assessment of the First Von Der Leyen Commission’s Defense Initiatives

Abstract In its first mandate, the Von der Leyen Commission launched a number of initiatives aimed at strengthening military cooperation between EU Member States. Some were spurred by external events, like the war in Ukraine; others were part of longer-term projects. These initiatives resulted in an articulated web of efforts which spanned institutional reform, weapons procurement, and doctrinal change. The aim of this paper is to appraise the potential and the limitations of these efforts, and to design policy prescriptions aimed at improving defense integration in the EU. The paper first provides a systematic review of the aforementioned initiatives; it continues by contextualizing these initiatives within the broader debate on EU strategic autonomy, and discusses the limits of European ambitions (political, economic and military). It concludes by presenting policy recommendations.