Security and Geostrategy

• Main Authors: Oliveira Martins, Bruno, Pinéu, Daniel
• Format: Book Part
• Language: unknown
• Published: Oxford University Press 2022
• Subjects: North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192855404.013.47; https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/44601/chapter/378045142

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.