The Common Security and Defence Policy : new developments and challenges : ESDC autumn university book 2021

The Autumn University of the European Doctoral School on CSDP was organised in residential format in Brussels from September 27 till October 1, 2021. It was the first in situ activity of the Doctoral School after the lockdowns due to Covid-19. The course's objective was to develop a critical mass of scientific and academic expertise that brings together supervisors and mentors and promotes the exchange of knowledge, skills and competences on European Security and Defence with a view to providing support for PhD level research reflecting on the CSDP. This volume consists of twelve chapters by both Professors and PhD Fellows, on current developments on CSDP. In the first chapter Foteini Asderaki and Minas Stravopodis explore how the Common Security and Defence Policy is affected by the multilateralism crisis that the EU faced during the last decade. The study argues that unexpected developments like BREXIT and the alteration of US foreign policy pivot to Asia led to the strengthening of the CSDP, a credible option for the EU's future. Furthermore, the analysis states that a stronger CSDP can strengthen the NATO alliance and not undercut it. All in all, the analysis ends up by arguing that, paradoxically, it is the multilateralism crisis itself that leads to the strengthening of multilateralism.