ABSTRACT
Europe engages in various forms of military diplomacy and cooperation, such as port visits by navy ships, exchange of expertise, common exercises, or even common patrols. The idea, in certain European states, that for every bomb dropped by one of its aircraft parliament should check whether it didn’t cause any civilian casualties, can only lead to the total paralysis of military operations. In the military domain especially, therefore, Europeans have to learn again how to think about power in order then also to use that power aptly and effectively. Europe must define a military level of ambition therefore that allows it to defend itself at all times and, simultaneously, to project power when necessary. Many continue to see the relationship between the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as a competition, as if whatever the one gets automatically is to the detriment of the other.
