A Common Deterrent for a United Europe? Revisiting European Nuclear Discourse

Nuclear weapons remain the unquestioned core of the defence postures of France and the United Kingdom. At the same time, the European Union is progressively enhancing its common foreign and security posture, notably through the establishment of a European Security and Defence Policy. Yet, despite evident progress in the CFSP, whose ultimate purpose is to lead to a “common defence policy”, EU member states still deal with nuclear issues on a strictly national basis. Our paper seeks to contrast the progress of EU‐integration with the continuance of national nuclear deterrence in Europe by analysing how this is presented in European public discourse. How is the raison d’être of the French and British nuclear deterrents conceptualised, and how is nuclear proliferation by the so-called ʺrogue statesʺ portrayed? The paper inquires about the construction of the rationale of the French and British nuclear forces and in particular their compatibility with the emerging European defence policy. What is the alleged purpose of European nuclear forces in European defence? Could and should a “European nuclear deterrent” be envisaged as the final stage in the ongoing framing of a European defence