An Analysis of the Political-Security Integration of the European Union within the Framework of Realist Approaches

The entrance of the European Union as a supranational actor into the field of political-security issues is a rare occurrence that has challenged realism as the most important state-centered theory in the international arena. Therefore, since the theory of realism as the main theory in the field of security issues does not recognize any role for non-state actors in this field, the question is brought forward that how do this theory and its various branches analyze and evaluate the actions and role of the European Union regarding political-security issues? In response, it can be said that this theory, at first, did not pay enough attention to the EU's security developments, due to the fact that it did not consider the EU a non-state actor, but as the EU began to formulate a common foreign and security policy and European security and defense policy and to establish European rapid reaction forces, it was forced to present some views in this regard. Although all branches of realism, due to their belief in the monopoly of state actors in the international arena, and their emphasis on elements such as national interests and national sovereignty, do not provide a clear-cut view on the political and security integration of the European Union, defensive neo-realists have a clearer and more optimistic view on the evolution of political and security integration at the EU level, due to the importance attached by them to the role of institutions in establishing security cooperation between states.