IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/cdanxx/v37y2021i2p177-192.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Beyond bare numbers: the qualitative subtleties of free-riding on NATO’s engagement in the Middle East

Author

Listed:
  • Kristýna Pavlíčková
  • Monika Gabriela Bartoszewicz

Abstract

This paper closely scrutinises NATO engagement, particularly the The Eastern Flank countries in the Middle East. Our main argument is that the quantitative approach to free riding is useful only when it comes to black-and-white policy choices and either-or policy decisions. Simultaneously, it fails when we are faced with more complex situations in which evaluations go beyond the very simple numerical markers, such as the 2% threshold of defence spending. By bringing together a unique regional focus (the European East and the Middle East), theoretical dilemmas (free-riding) and policy issues (NATO's multilateral framework of co-operation understood in terms of strategic interests and practical engagement), we are able to show that Romania is a subtle free rider, which cannot be verified by merely looking at numbers alone, but can be ascertained by a careful qualitative analysis which reveals a discrepancy between the country's strategic interests and its level of engagement.

Suggested Citation

  • Kristýna Pavlíčková & Monika Gabriela Bartoszewicz, 2021. "Beyond bare numbers: the qualitative subtleties of free-riding on NATO’s engagement in the Middle East," Defense & Security Analysis, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(2), pages 177-192, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:cdanxx:v:37:y:2021:i:2:p:177-192
    DOI: 10.1080/14751798.2021.1919353
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/14751798.2021.1919353
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/14751798.2021.1919353?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:cdanxx:v:37:y:2021:i:2:p:177-192. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/CDAN20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.