Why is a moderate constructivist approach necessary to analyse Europeanization of foreign, security and defence policies?

Abstract

Europeanization refers to the impact of the European Union polity and policy-making on the national level. This article argues that a moderate (modernist) constructivist approach is necessary to analyse Europeanization of foreign, security and defence policies of EU member states. This is because this approach attributes constitutive and transformative roles to the social and ideational factors that emerge as a result of interaction in institutions. Furthermore, the intergovernmental and consensual nature of the foreign, security and defence policy-making within the EU do not lead to adaptation to rules, regulations and directives as tangible as the economic aspects of integration.