The Nordic Countries and the European Security and Defence Policy

36 THE BROADER DIMENSIONS OF SECURITYslowly growing, subjective attraction to more demanding obligations based on astrengthened feeling for Europe as a unity. Regardless of the precise reasons, any suchsteps would need to be taken with great caution, as befitting small states that havemuch to lose if the EU is dominated by a group of larger ones. The Nordic countrieswill certainly continue to watch closely whether other countries are abiding by therules and reacting strongly against breaches of them.It is also possible that individual Nordic countries will take steps in one direction oranother without the others following. This was the rule rather than the exception in thepast. Nordic cooperation, while always reflecting an aspiration among decision makersand the populations at large, has never been these states’ first priority. Nordic countrieswill also continue to differ in the extent to which they will need to rely on popular consent.Even so, in today’s circumstances there can be no more pressing task for allmember states of the EU than to consolidate their popular support. A strong Europeneeds not only leadership but also, and above all, the wide support of its citizens—andthe Nordic region can be no exception.