ABSTRACT
This chapter provides basis for reflection regarding the actors, institutions and security threats that Europe faces. The 1990s saw an initial flurry of security initiatives, agreements and a de-securitisation of political rhetoric in Europe. It was more popular to talk about the peace dividend than to urge increased military spending. The presence of both civil wars and collapsing states in the southern Mediterranean has brought large numbers of refugees fleeing the conflicts to Europe, peaking in summer 2015 when more than 1,000,000 people crossed into Europe by land and sea. The agendas of Europe’s populist parties also challenge the liberal international order that underpins the institutionalised European security order. One of the major problems in finding a way out of Europe’s inactivity relates to the lack of innovation, leadership or adequate response to the serious threats currently undermining European security.
