The Transformation of Security in Europe since the fall of the Berlin Wall. A critical review

Abstract

In the year 1989 the symbol of the division of Europe disappeared thanks to a varied set of circumstances that turned this situation into untenable. One of the most affected areas was security. Today, 30 years later, Europe remains divided into two blocs and the level of confrontation between Moscow and Brussels has reached unimaginable levels despite or perhaps because of NATO expansion up to the border of Russia. This work aims to make a review of the literature on European security while giving a coherent perspective of what has happened in these 30 years in which Europe has lived without the Berlin Wall. To this end, the chosen period will be divided into four periods (1989-2001, 2001-2004, 2005-2013 and 2013 onwards) in which the following aspects will be studied: the importance of the former Soviet allies, the perception of the security architecture and conflicts in Europe.