Recent events in international relations involving cross-border conflicts have led to a greater focus on national security, defense, alliances and war preparedness. Both the European Union and the USA are now prioritizing security over democracy in foreign affairs. The EU’s Foreign and Security Policy increasingly supports moving in the direction of securitization and the commitment to values-based soft diplomacy has to some extent been replaced by a move towards hard power. Rising amounts of national and European budgets go to defense, while more and more policy debates address these matters.
No matter what their political tendency, across the Atlantic, successive US presidents have tended to prioritize security over democracy. Even though the USA extends foreign aid to countries exhibiting democratic progress, the United States also forms alliances with undemocratic regimes in order to ensure security. Moreover, in recent years US citizens place promoting democracy abroad low on their priority list. Republicans, especially, are unsupportive of any approach that prioritizes democracy in foreign affairs.
The increasing securitization of politics and use of militaristic language can be seen as having potential to weaken democratic processes at home and abroad, both in Europe and the US. Linking democratic ideals with military instruments may at times foster ongoing wars for the sake of protecting ‘democracy’. The nature of this securitization trend should be examined both in relation to national politics and external actions and policies that affect the health of democracy today.