ABSTRACT
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is currently experiencing a renaissance. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, many expected the alliance to wither away or, at best, to stagnate and decline in importance. More than a decade later, it is clear that these earlier predictions were wrong. Not only is the transatlantic alliance alive and well, but, since the end of the Cold War, its mission and capabilities have grown. Of the many significant changes to the organization, two decisions, the enlargement of NATO and the airstrikes against Yugoslavia, stand out as the most crucial. While the long-term consequences of NATO's actions in Yugoslavia remain to be seen, we can say for certain that the enlargement of NATO will remain an important topic in the years to come. The decision to expand the alliance, reached in Madrid at a summit of NATO countries during the summer of 1997, did more than extend membership to three new countries - it initiated a larger process that will require NATO members to make more decisions about enlargement in the future. While there is considerable disagreement as to whether expansion will have positive or negative effects, both proponents and opponents of the policy believe that it will have far-reaching consequences for the alliance and for European security.
