Stopping the Clock: Has European Security Evolved Since the End of Cold War?

The common story of the post-Cold War European security environment is the story of evolution. The breakup of the Soviet Union, the Yugoslav wars, the Common Foreign and Security Policy, September 11 terrorist attacks, etc., all these events and processes imply that they have pushed the architecture of European security in a particular direction. Faced with the state of field as described, we have two options when formulating our research questions and designs. One option is to fill research gaps in this existing dynamic narrative. Another option, and the one pursued in this chapter, is to challenge the existing narrative. We can do this by showing how a relatively dynamic story of European security architecture since the end of the Cold War can be re-told by emphasising its static and unchanging nature in some fundamental respects.