Rules. Not only Arms

The increase in military spending in the EU has been substantial. This chapter examines whether the current process of European rearmament will effectively enhance the level of security of EU member states. The central argument is that unresolved structural issues within the EU—namely fragmentation and inequality—may undermine credibility and, consequently, render rearmament ineffective in terms of security and deterrence, while also proving detrimental to economic growth. The chapter proceeds as follows. The first section reviews recent trends in rearmament. The second section discusses the two main structural challenges, fragmentation and inequality. The third section assesses whether the EU can function as a military alliance, focusing on the determinants of burden sharing. The fourth section outlines policy proposals. The final section concludes.