Unavoidable Tensions: The Liberal Path to Global NATO

Abstract

The article puts the contemporary debate on NATO ‘going global’ into its historical and conceptual perspective. Pressure to expand alliance responsibilities is not new, rather it is a fundamental problem of alliance goal setting and legitimacy. The pedigree of concepts like Global NATO can be traced back to earlier attempts at liberal order-building, efforts that have oscillated between universal and exclusive varieties. Recent proposals for the globalization of NATO or the creation of a global organization of democracies may best be understood as an institutional culmination of the liberal critique of universal multilateralism. While going global, taking on ever greater roles and responsibilities, is inconceivable to many alliance members, the liberal tradition makes expansion of alliance roles increasingly hard to resist. Contrary to prevailing continental European wisdom, the article concludes that the existence of a robust reformist tier within NATO as well as major strategic trends will keep the vision of a Global NATO on the agenda of Western security policy. It argues that exploring NATO's contested global question is crucial for the development and definition of the emerging role of the alliance and collective security.