OPEN ECHOES Episode #24
An interview with Dr. Olivier Schmitt
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Dr. Olivier Schmitt is a professor of political science at the Center for War Studies, University of Southern Denmark (SDU), where he focuses on security policy, military cooperation, arms control, and the evolving nature of warfare. He previously served as director of research and studies at the French Institute of Higher National Defence Studies (IHEDN) and holds a Ph.D. from the Department of War Studies at Kings College London.
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This interview explores the author's insights on alliance dynamics, focusing on:
- A broader definition of alliances, including both formal treaties and informal alignments, to better reflect today’s complex security partnerships.
- Three key motivations behind alliance behavior: balancing (uniting against a threat), bandwagoning (aligning with a dominant power), and tethering (maintaining adversarial relationships within an alliance to prevent open conflict).
- The role of institutional adaptability in ensuring the credibility of alliances.
- The challenges posed by economic ties with adversarial powers, which complicate alliance politics.
- The conclusion that NATO is not merely a military alliance but also a community of democratic values—essential for its long-term stability, cohesion, and legitimacy in the 21st century.
Welcome to OPEN Echoes. OPEN stands for “Other Perspectives Exchange Network.” Our mission is to explore diverse, insightful, and sometimes disruptive viewpoints on matters crucial to NATO.
OPEN Echoes reflects the original thoughts, analyses, and viewpoints shared by academics, thought leaders and non-military experts — spreading ideas, perspectives, and insights across the globe.
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It’s our hope that the insights shared in these episodes will help to impact and influence thinking and conversations long after you take off your headphones.
OPEN Echoes alternates episodes between compelling interviews with non-NATO subject matter experts, and readings from OPEN's wide range of publications. In this episode, we interview Dr. Olivier Schmitt.
Dr. Schmitt’s article, “The Emergence of Military Alliances in the 21 st Century"; is available on the OPEN Publications website here.