Implementing and strengthening the European Union's common foreign and security policy : the role of neutral member states Ireland and Malta

Abstract

The research focuses on how the neutral status of Ireland and Malta affects the implementation and development of the CFSP, and how both countries have tried to adjust their definition of neutrality with their changing commitments as EU member states. The research sheds light on the relationship between neutrality and the CFSP, examining how neutrality may have influenced the implementation and development of the EU's foreign and security policies. It also explores the potential implications of neutrality on the future of the CFSP and considers Ireland and Malta as case-studies to illustrate how neutral member states have navigated the evolving dynamics of the EU. After WWII, the role of neutrality in the international system changed and the variations of neutrality increased. The research traces the historical development of neutrality, highlighting the legal obligations of neutral states during wartime and the extra-legal nature of neutrality during peacetime, and its connection with the development of the CFSP. During the Cold War, neutral states faced the challenge of maintaining a balanced economic and political relationship with the superpowers and their blocs during ‘peacetime’ and was transformed as one of the conditions for non-alignment. Neutral European states joined international organizations without renouncing their neutrality, wherein they emphasized their role as peace brokers. However, the effectiveness of collective security mechanisms in maintaining peace and security remained limited; thus, so did the pressure on neutral states to adapt their policies. The EU is however different since it continuously evolves through enlargement and more integration. Thus, structural pressures on the neutral EU member states pull towards a shift and re-alignment of their foreign policies with the needs and ambitions of the EU as an actor in world politics. These top-down pressures on the EU are however counterbalanced by bottom-up pressures on national governments, and consequently on the EU, to resist integration in the CFSP that could affect neutrality. The 2022 Russian aggression in Ukraine raised concerns about the stability of the international order, highlighting the need for the EU to strengthen its security and defence. However, the EU member states have traditionally guarded defence and security as national competencies. The study focuses on Ireland and Malta as case studies. Both countries have historical and cultural ties to Britain, share similarities as small states unable to defend themselves alone, and have used neutrality to assert their nationhood and place within the international system. The research further examines how these countries have adapted their neutrality to the evolving pressures of EU membership and the expectations of their citizens. Indeed, the level of Europeanization in the political, social, and normative aspects of each country varies, influencing their inclination towards a Europeanized security and defence policy. The research raises salient questions about the future development of the CFSP and the willingness of member states to relinquish aspects of their sovereignty in favour of a more unified security and defence identity.