The relaunch of the European defense project beyond state control

This article seeks to understand the relaunch of the European defence project in the 2010s through the use of different theoretical approaches. While at first sight New intergovernmentalism, focusing on the Member States and the context of crisis, has the greatest explanatory value, a thorough analysis shows a more complex picture. Neo-functionalism and neo-institutionalism allow us to explain why, in an area often seen as controlled by the Member States, supranational actors and mechanisms find a way to influence the integration process.