European academics, think‐tankers and policy-makers make three consistent and critical errors when debating strategy: firstly, they do not clearly define what they mean by “strategy” – a problem that has long haunted the field of strategic studies; secondly, and as a result, they tend to speak of European strategic interests, all too often treating the EU as a unitary actor and overlooking the continued importance of national strategic interests in the formulation and conduct of EU foreign policy; and finally, and related to these two failings, they have a fixation with strategic objectives rather than focusing on the strategic methodology – both in a material and intellectual sense – that is to be used to pursue such objectives. Thinking about a European Global Strategy (EGS) must not commit the same errors.
Contribution to “Stocktaking of EU Strategising”, 2021
Daniel Fiott 