The White Paper Within the Institutional Constraints

The European Commission’s recently published Joint White Paper on European Defence, together with the ReArm Europe Plan; now “quietly rebranded” as “Readiness 2030”, signals a transformative moment in the European Union’s approach to security. This strategic shift was reinforced by the Council Conclusions of 20 March, which provided clear political backing for intensified defence cooperation, demonstrating a broad alignment among Member States. Nevertheless, in case of emergencies such alignment remains limited to short-term measures, as more permanent frameworks are constrained by lack of political will and institutional obstacles. If not addressed, this will perpetuate a short-term vision that risks undermining the building of a stronger European strategic resilience, capable of addressing not only traditional defence challenges but also broader hybrid threats to democratic governance and societal cohesion.