Neorealist
Perspectives in US – EU Security Cooperation
Since 1995, United States (US) and European
Union (EU) had made an agreement to reduce the tension between US and European
states. This agreement called the New Transatlantic Agenda (NTA). In “A New
Agenda for US-EU Security Cooperation” working paper, Daniel Korski and his two
partners, Daniel Serwer and Megan Chabalowski (2009) write down three new
agendas that will help this cooperation continue. But, if we look from
neorealist perspective, I argue that this cooperation will not work well.
Based on neorealist assumptions, we could define
US and EU behavior with this cooperation. First, the anarchic structure, where
there is no authority above state and self-help system. Even they cooperate,
but in some situations, they have to help their own self which is made the
cooperation seem useless. Second, an unipolarity condition, which made US as
the main actor who have the most capabilities. We know that every single state
has their own national interest that need to be achieved. So, these big
capabilities made US could achieve their national interest easier. Third, neorealist
believes in relative gain, where cooperation could be realized if the benefit
is profitable enough.
At the first time, this cooperation is focus in
economic reconstruction by the Marshall Plan
(Cowles & Egan, 2012). Then, it deepened to a military strategic
cooperation. At that moment, Europe has been in misery because of the impact of
World War and European had to depend in US, where US had better economic and
military. This cooperation continued until Suez Canal Crisis happened in 1956 (Garrison). This crisis made US and European
cooperation become widen. After the crisis, European states started to make
cooperation between themselves, started by European Coal and Steel Community
(ECSC), which leaded to the unification of some of European states in European
Union (EU).
Thus, the cooperation began again when
Yugoslavia war broke. NATO’s success made US and EU formed a working group.
This group composed the “New Transatlantic Agenda” (NTA) with four goals, such
as: Promoting peace and stability, democracy and development around the world;
Responding to global challenges; Contributing to the expansion of world trade
and closer economic relations (New Transatlantic Agenda, 1995). Therefore, to implement
this agenda, they also made a Joint EU/US Action Plan.
With neorealist assumption, we know that this
international system is anarchy. Where there is no authority above state. It
makes every single state have to help their own self. In this case, cooperation
between US and EU could not work well. Because, in some situation, even they
work together, the other could not help. For instance, when US invade Iraq, he
owned no support from other state. Especially from France and Germany who
strongly disagree and assume US action was exaggerating (WEISMAN, 2003). Other state like Russia and China also oppose US
interest because they don’t have any issues with Iraq (Yew, 2007). This illustration makes it clear that US could not
gain support even they are cooperating with European states. US also could not
compel them to invade Iraq because in anarchic world, a state could not ask
other to do what they want. Opposition by Russia and China also could not be
resisted by the aid of European states, indeed US have to overcome this issue
alone.
Second, in neorealist we believe in distribution
of power. This power is functionally undifferentiated, which to achieve
survival. But, every state will have different proportion of power depend on
how they obtain it. US as the hegemony power, have the most capabilities than others.
This condition makes it clear that US actually did not need any big help from
others. For this reason, we could assume that in Iraq War even though no state
supported US, but he could keep doing the invasion (Singal, Lim, & Stephey, 2010). This invasion was done because
US has national interest in there. US feel humiliated by the accident of 9/11,
so for show his power, Bush invaded Iran with the reason to his people is to
wipe out terrorism out there.
US-EU cooperation is also only shown in some states,
such as in Middle East. Notably, it is because US national interest is in those
states. In Middle East, there are many anti-American movements which make US foreign
policy is toward them. But, in other fail state such as in Africa, their
cooperation rarely shown to help those fail states. Surely, it is because US
national interest is not in Africa. For this reason, it can be seemed that US
as hegemony could rule EU. Regardless with the national interest of EU given
that it makes an inequitable cooperation of US and EU.
Besides, we also know that every state has
national interest. The cooperation between US and EU could be hard, because in
EU there are 28 countries in EU whereby each state certainly will have
different national interest. US have to wait approval from 28 countries which
will take a long time. With this in mind, US will not know what EU really
intention. Since it depends on 28 countries who most of the periphery states in
EU have different view from US. This uncertainty of intention made the agreement
of cooperation will be long achieved.
My last argument is neorealist see the
possibility of cooperation as long as it gives vast benefit. In fact, EU still
could not give any benefit to US. Such as, EU should have gave support in
Middle East area where the US has a big attention in there or EU probably could
give money and send experts to the region that in their predictions will have
conflicts (Korski, Preventing Crises and
Managing Conflicts: U.S.-EU Cooperation). As a matter of fact that condition
could not be afforded by EU.
Moreover, now US see that their cooperation with
EU is not a priority. While, the emerging power by China and some state in
South Asia provided that US start to move his foreign policy to pacific region.
China influence in Asia made US start to be caution with this new power (Schwenninger, 2007). Additionally, even China
projects his power through economy but their ideology still communism. Furthermore,
It made that US will not step aside since spreading liberalism is their main
concern in what they do in Middle East. So, US will not give any space to China
spread the communism.
In conclusion, US-EU cooperation will not work
well by the view from neorealist perspective. Because first, the anarchic
structure and granted the self-help system. Second, US as a hegemony power will
try to impose their national interest rather to cooperate. Third, US will not
cooperate if the benefit is not profitable enough to him.
REFERENCES
New
Transatlantic Agenda. (1995). 2.
Cowles,
M. G., & Egan, M. (2012). The Evolution of the Transatlantic Partnership. TRANSWORLD.
Garrison,
B. (n.d.). THE SUEZ CRISIS. Retrieved January 27, 2015, from THE COLD
WAR MUSEUM: http://www.coldwar.org/articles/50s/SuezCrisis1956.asp
Korski,
D. (n.d.). Preventing Crises and Managing Conflicts: U.S.-EU Cooperation.
Korski,
D., Serwer, D., & Chabalowski, M. (2009). A New Agenda for US-EU Security
Cooperation. FRIDE.
Schwenninger,
S. R. (2007, January). The United States and the Emerging Powers.
Retrieved January 27, 2015, from New America Foundation:
http://newamerica.net/node/8639
Singal,
J., Lim, C., & Stephey, M. (2010, March 19). March 2003 Shock and Awe.
Retrieved January 27, 2015, from TIME:
http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1967340_1967342_1967398,00.html
WEISMAN,
S. R. (2003, Jnauary 24). Refusal by French and Germans to Back U.S. on Iraq
Has Undercut Powell's Position. Retrieved January 27, 2015, from The New
York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/24/international/middleeast/24POWE.html
Yew,
L. K. (2007, January). The United States, Iraq, and the War on Terror.
Retrieved January 27, 2015, from Foreign Affairs:
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/62266/lee-kuan-yew/the-united-states-iraq-and-the-war-on-terror