Dutch European Security Policy in Post-Cold War Era

• Main Authors: Wei-Hao Kao, 高偉豪
• Other Authors: Cheng-Wen Tsai
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/75808658241628860125

碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 政治學研究所 === 98 === In the wake of World War II, the Netherlands ended its self-imposed neutrality, and started forming alliances with other countries by joining NATO, thereby becoming an ally of the United States and marking the emergence of“Transatlanticism”. Such an approach to security policy remained unchanged until the end of the Cold War. With the downfall of the Soviet Union, the international system underwent significant changes, tipping the balance of power in Europe and further impacting the European security policy of the Netherlands. This paper aims to explore the evolution of the European security policy of the Netherlands in the post-Cold War era. It is found that the lowland country is still pursuing transatlanticism as its strategic objective, yet its allegiance to NATO has now been coupled with the CFSP/ESDP adopted by the European Union. The trend is shaped by both domestic and international forces, with the latter holding sway. Changes in power structure have prompted the US to reassess its global strategies, while major European countries play cards close to their chest. The tug-of-war between Atlanticism/NATO and Europeanism/EU propelled the pendulum of the Netherlands’ European security policy to swing back and forth. From the perspective of neo-realism, however, the US, which maintains its military strength, remains willing to assist Europe in defense efforts. Consequently, despite the dual strategy in place, transatlanticism still meets the needs and remains at the heart of the Netherlands’ European security policy.