Introduction

The introduction addresses the empirical puzzle and the research questions that inform the book. Through an innovative theoretical framework that combines Comparative Politics, International Political Economy (IPE) and International Relations (IR), the introductory chapter presents the research puzzle and the research questions about European cooperation and non-cooperation in arms procurement. The book, besides its theoretical contribution, is also important for assessing the longue durée of European defence-industrial cooperation and it has significant policy implications for the debate on European defence, both from a geopolitical and from an economic and industrial point of view. The introduction also specifies the research design and the methodology employed to conduct the research.