Europeanising NATO: examining de Gaulle's legacy in contemporary European security

Amid the erosion of security guarantees under the second Trump administration, Europe once again faces mounting pressure to assume greater responsibility for its defence. This echoes Charles de Gaulle's vision from the 1960s of a “European Europe” less dependent on an external superpower. This article revisits the alliance security dilemma and Cold War-era Gaullism, juxtaposing them with the dynamics of the Trump 2.0 era to assess the prospects for “Europeanising” NATO today. Can the Gaullist era shed light on the defence challenges currently facing Europe? This article argues that the motivations that drove French policy under de Gaulle have changed. There are now dense and institutionalised bilateral ties between France, Germany and the UK that enable the fashioning of a more self-reliant European pillar within NATO. The analysis identifies both enduring patterns of European scepticism regarding the durability of American commitments and the potential for Europe-led defence initiatives.