European Defence Governance: Who calls the shots?

In recent years, defence has rapidly climbed to the top of the European political agenda, driven by geopolitical instability, Russia’s war against Ukraine, and growing pressure on Europe to take greater responsibility for its own security. As the EU expands its role in security and defence, longstanding questions about authority, coordination, and democratic accountability have become increasingly salient. Against this backdrop, SIEPS has recently published the volume "Who calls the shots? Institutional and political dynamics in European defence".  

This seminar will bring together the contributors to the volume and other leading experts to discuss who shapes EU defence policy today – and how this balance of power may evolve in the future. It will explore the architecture of European defence with its flexible formats, and the distribution of power between EU institutions and member states. 

Intended for policymakers, government officials, and other practitioners working in the field of European security and defence, as well as for researchers and the broader public with an interest in EU governance issues, the seminar offers an opportunity to reflect on European defence cooperation, deepening EU integration, and how Sweden’s priorities can be advanced in an increasingly complex multi-level governance framework. 

Programme

Introduction  

Göran von Sydow, Director, SIEPS 

Panel 1: Variable geometry and the architecture of European defence 

European defence cooperation is increasingly characterised by flexible formats, overlapping frameworks, and differentiated integration. This panel examines how initiatives such as minilateral groupings, EU instruments, and NATO structures interact – and what this variable geometry means for coherence, effectiveness, and strategic direction. 

How fragmented or cohesive is the current European defence architecture? What role does the EU play alongside NATO and ad hoc coalitions? Does flexible cooperation strengthen European defence? 

Katarina Engberg, Senior Advisor, SIEPS 

Barbara Kunz, Head of Programme Department, Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI) 

Roderick Parkes, Researcher, NATO Defense College, Rome 

Pernille Rieker, Director, ARENA Centre for European Studies, University of Oslo 

Coffee break 

Panel 2: Supranational ambitions vs. intergovernmental power in EU defence policy 

As the European Commission expands its role in defence-industrial policy, tensions with member states’ traditional control over defence policy are becoming more visible. This panel explores the evolving balance of power between supranational and intergovernmental actors, as well as the role of the European Parliament and national parliaments in shaping and scrutinising EU defence policy. 

To what extent is the Commission becoming a defence actor in its own right? How do member states maintain control over core state powers? Are national parliaments and the European Parliament keeping up with developments in EU defence?  

Lisbeth Aggestam, Associate Professor in Political Science, University of Gothenburg  

Calle Håkansson, Researcher, Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI) 

Valentin Kreilinger, Senior Researcher in Political Science, SIEPS 

Nicolai von Ondarza, Head of the EU/Europe Research Division, German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) 

Concluding remarks 

Jan Joel Andersson, Political Advisor to Minister for Defence Pål Jonson, Swedish Ministry of Defence 

Moderator: Göran von Sydow, Director, SIEPS