NATO influence on Romanian national security in the post Cold War era

Abstract

The transformation of the political relations in Europe at the dawn of the 21st century resulted in deep changes in the concepts of security and collective defense. In the context of NATO becoming an organization dedicated to freedom and democratic values, Romania reconsidered its political and strategic position, started profound reforms in its security institutions and continues to consolidate the democratic statecraft. This thesis examines the influence of NATO mechanisms on Romanian National Security in the Post Cold War Era. The analysis is primarily concerned with examining the building blocks and mechanisms by which NATO extends its institutional and normative influence and contributes or not to reducing chances for military conflict and political tension in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) countries, by integrating them into the Western security community, and increasing the speed of democratic domestic reforms. The analysis concludes that through NATO influence, Romania has developed into a major factor of peace and stability in the area and could become an important military contributor to NATO.