European armament co-operation and the renewal of industrial policy motives

This article explores economic patriotism within the evolution of European defence procurement policies. As European integration advances, the nature of the patrie underpinning interventions in defence industries evolves, and becomes partially post-national.

That said, ‘national’ boundaries endure, and special relationship among national actors continue to exist. European co-operation in armaments production involves an ambiguous blend of partial liberalization and the implementation of industrial policy at a new level. Tensions among actors about both the nature of defence industrial policy (liberal vs protectionist) and its level of implementation (national/European/global) explain the evolution of the European prerogatives in this sector.