Beyond the water's edge: realities of European security and defence politics during war

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Israel's war in Gaza have demonstrated that partisan politics and polarization dynamics in Europe can, but do not necessarily, stop at the water's edge. Threat perception and political ties to foreign actors, for example, influence how the EU and its member-states debate whether and how to intervene in international events and engage with external powers. In this conclusion, I build on the contributions of the special issue to assess when heightened polarization and new cleavages are likely to emerge, and when a more unified front can be expected. I also use these contributions to argue for moving beyond the water's edge not only theoretically but also interdisciplinarily. Conceptual and theoretical translations across Comparative Politics, International Relations, Public Policy and Administration, Political and Social Psychology, and Foreign Policy Analysis helps us tap into the realities of European security and defence politics.