ABSTRACT
The concept of a European identity within the Atlantic Alliance and ways of giving substance to it have been debated more or less continuously ever since the 1950s. To respond to these political, strategic and economic imperatives clearly calls for fresh initiatives on the part of the European members of the Alliance. A robust Atlantic relationship and a measure of European unity have provided the framework of political expectations for the best part of three decades now. The political, strategic and economic imperatives for forging an integrated European defence effort were, if anything, even more compelling in the early 1950s than now. ‘Grand designs’ such as the European defence community proposal thus highlight political cohesion and meet the tests of the strategic and economic imperatives better than piecemeal change. A commitment to create multi-national formations and to promote compatibility in the interests of high mobility in deployment would enhance efficiency and develop political strength.
