Securitization, Desecuritization and Just Securitization

Unlike realism, liberalism and mainstream constructivism, securitization theory is not associated with a well-known explanation of NATO’s continued existence and/or its double enlargement (of geographical area and remit/function). This chapter remedies this lacuna in the literature. It shows that the political construction of new threats after the end of the Cold War served to secure NATO’s existence into the future and second, that enlargement can cause military insecurity in outsiders (notably Russia) and issues of alliance cohesion internally. Beyond that the paper offers some practical policy recommendation that arise from securitization studies. Using Just Securitization Theory the chapter argues that NATO can have a moral duty to securitize the NATO allies and their populations. In this connection, it is suggested that NATO’s Article 5 mutual defence clause is, in part, an anachronism and should be revised for the 21st century.