European Security and Defense Cooperation Facing Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan. A Reflection on the “Classical” Conception of Sovereignty in Times of Crisis

Starting with the debate between intergovernmentalism and supranationalism, the article delves into the EU’s evolving governance model within the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP). For this purpose, we employ the Hobbesian conception of state and sovereignty, particularly Leviathan, which characterized the evolution of modern and contemporary political organizations. We put forward the hypothesis that the CSDP distances itself from this ‘classical’ conception of sovereignty and political organization, although some similarities exist with the English philosopher, especially from the point of view of external governance. Reflecting on the Ukrainian crisis (and the recent 2022 war) and the Iranian nuclear negotiations, the article explores both speculative and empirical dimensions.