| Review of: | European Security in the Twenty-First Century: the Challenge of Multipolarity by A. Hyde-Price |
|---|---|
| Reviewed By: | Ursula C. Schroeder |
| Reviewed in: | Journal of Common Market Studies |
| Date accepted online: | 02/11/2007 |
| Published in print: | Volume 45, Issue 03, Pages 745-769 |
Book Reviews
In this book, Hyde-Price revives realism to explain the dynamics of the post-cold war European security system. Faithful to the analytical core of structural realism as developed by Waltz and Mearsheimer, the author challenges the current 'liberal-idealist hegemony' in European security research. In contrast to liberal expectations of democratic peace, the existence of a European security community and the conflict-mitigating role of multilateral institutions, the book starts from the assumption that states are both security and power maximizers. In this perspective, the logic of anarchy, the structural distribution of relative power capabilities and a state's geopolitical situation are the primary factors influencing the development of the European security order.
Following two brief chapters outlining liberal (chapter 2) and realist (chapter 3) theories of international relations, the main part of the book (chapters 4-8) assesses the prospects for peace and security co-operation in Europe. Considerably more pessimistic than other studies in the field, Hyde-Price highlights the re-emerging dynamics of power politics in a European order characterized by balanced multipolarity. He argues that Europe faces Russia as a potential security competitor and additionally expects a steady process of continental drift in its transatlantic relations. Moreover, the 'newly-assertive
The book provides a concise and coherent application of structural realism to the question of European security integration. It certainly fulfils its aim of 'adding dissonant tones' to current debates, and it makes the timely point that issues of power, interests and the use of force have been neglected in research on European security. Yet, since the author consciously limits the theoretical debate to the two traditional positions of realism and a 'straw man'-like version of liberalism, the analysis foregoes a more nuanced assessment of the current state of the European Union and leaves the reader with little more than the conviction that the heyday of European integration has passed. Moreover, the decision to assess the EU's security role exclusively in terms of its still marginal military capabilities leads to the omission of its potentially stronger impact as a regional security provider through its enlargement and external relations policies. Nevertheless, the book is a welcome addition to the research field and it will doubtlessly provoke interesting discussions.