Security and Geostrategy

Abstract This chapter analyses the main pillars of the dominant security and geostrategic thinking in Portugal in both their discursive and policy dimensions. We argue that the country’s security and defence policies are developed within a balance between classical alliances in the North Atlantic, a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Oliveira Martins, Bruno, Pinéu, Daniel
Format: Book Part
Language:unknown
Published: Oxford University Press 2022
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Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192855404.013.47
https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/44601/chapter/378045142
Description
Summary:Abstract This chapter analyses the main pillars of the dominant security and geostrategic thinking in Portugal in both their discursive and policy dimensions. We argue that the country’s security and defence policies are developed within a balance between classical alliances in the North Atlantic, a commitment to European integration, and a postcolonial strategic interest in Portuguese-speaking countries. The chapter reviews key literature on the topic, and positions Portuguese developments within broader international contexts, in particular NATO and the defence structures within the EU. The chapter also examines the evolution of Portugal’s security policies (beyond the classical matrix of a small power managing a balancing act between the Atlantic, European, and post-colonial dimensions), and what drives change in them, particularly by highlighting new topics of concern.