Nuclear weapons are a crucial element of European security. For most European countries, nuclear deterrence is provided by the NATO nuclear umbrella, which is intended to protect European countries against external adversaries. As part of this umbrella, the United States stations nuclear weapons in five European countries as a part of the so-called ‘nuclear sharing’.

However, in recent years, nuclear sharing has been heavily contested in four of the countries where these weapons are believed to be stationed today. Whether in the public opinion or parliamentary debates, pro-disarmament voices have been very vocal creating significant pressure on governments, and indirectly on the alliance. For instance, ahead of the German elections in 2021, renewing infrastructure for supporting nuclear sharing was a major point of contention.

At the same time, NATO allies support nuclear sharing. The 2020 NATO Reflection Group recalled that “nuclear sharing arrangements play a vital role in the interconnection of the Alliance and should remain one of the main components of security guarantees and the indivisibility of security of the whole Euro-Atlantic area . The 2022 NATO Strategic Concept officially underlines the importance of this arrangement.

This workshop will study the politics surrounding debates on nuclear sharing in Europe, focusing on the role of public opinion, parties and civil society, and looking at the patterns of contestation in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey.

The workshop is by invitation only.