Neutrality, a Really Dead Concept?

Abstract

Identity, norms, and values have become some of the most discussed topics in the field of international relations. Surprisingly, at the same time, neutrality has almost disappeared from the academic agenda on European security. Its discourse has narrowed down to mainstream discussions about NATO enlargement and military crisis management. Neutrality is not seriously discussed anymore, but seen as a relic from the Cold War, hampering participation in collective security endeavors. Concentrating on neutrality's political core rather than on its legal obligations, and differentiating its realistic functions from its idealistic ones, I argue that neutrality still offers an interesting alternative to security identities based on membership in military alliances. Its role conceptions provide clear guidelines for constructive participation of neutral states in multilateral security frameworks such as the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy and NATO's Partnership for Peace initiative.