On 23 September 2008, the former German Minister of Foreign Affairs Joschka Fischer gave a speech at the Graduate Institute in Geneva on the role of the EU in global affairs. After arguing that it was necessary for Europe to play a more assertive role, given the rise of new powers – and assuring his audience that the political will to do so had been growing slowly but surely – Fisher argued that Europe faced three main challenges if it was to remain a major actor in the world. The first was the further development of European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP – called these days the Common Security and Defence Policy [CSDP]); the second was enlargement towards Turkey; and the third was energy policy. This conception supports the view followed in this book, namely, that both enlargement and defence are essential foreign policies for the future of the EU's role in the world. However, both of these policies depend on Member States (MS) being able to cooperate. It seems relevant then to ask, what allows or limits the ability of Member States’ governments to contribute to these strategic objectives?

Considering that the scope of European foreign and security policy (EFP) has widened and deepened in an unprecedented manner during the past two decades, this question might seem redundant. Indeed, this evolution has been so remarkable that foreign policy has become one of the most dynamic areas of European integration. Furthermore, some might argue that the public has little interest in these affairs and as such little influence in the evolution of EFP. On the other hand, in light of the significant debate that has emerged over enlargement – and particularly on the question of Turkish enlargement – it seems hard to maintain the assertion of the indifference of domestic actors towards EFP. Moreover, as this book will show, policymakers are not immune to these demands and have reacted to shifts in public preferences. Beyond public preferences, there are other relevant domestic factors, such as budgetary concerns or electoral cycles that have constrained policymakers’ room for manoeuvre in the areas of security and defence or enlargement.