Strategy-Making for Policy-Making across Europe

In January 2026, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen launched the idea of a new European Security Strategy, stressing the need for the EU to react and adapt to profound geopolitical changes and to strengthen its autonomy, resilience, and defence capabilities. Transatlantic tensions, heightened by the Greenland crisis and the criticism directed at Europe in the new US National Security Strategy, accelerated this move. According to von der Leyen, security must become the guiding principle of all EU policies, from defence and energy to technology and trade. The task is to calibrate an approach that strengthens Europe’s security while promoting partnerships in support of a rules-based international order. This Policy Paper examines previous EU and NATO experiences with strategy-making, assessing drivers and actors, texts and contexts, processes and outcomes. Furthermore, it outlines priorities and policy guidelines aimed at shaping a realistic and effective European doctrine, capable of responding to current and future strategic challenges.