ABSTRACT

This paper closely scrutinises NATO engagement, particularly the The Eastern Flank countries in the Middle East. Our main argument is that the quantitative approach to free riding is useful only when it comes to black-and-white policy choices and either-or policy decisions. Simultaneously, it fails when we are faced with more complex situations in which evaluations go beyond the very simple numerical markers, such as the 2% threshold of defence spending. By bringing together a unique regional focus (the European East and the Middle East), theoretical dilemmas (free-riding) and policy issues (NATO's multilateral framework of co-operation understood in terms of strategic interests and practical engagement), we are able to show that Romania is a subtle free rider, which cannot be verified by merely looking at numbers alone, but can be ascertained by a careful qualitative analysis which reveals a discrepancy between the country's strategic interests and its level of engagement.

摘要

本文密切关注北约的参与，尤其是中东的东翼国家。我们的主要论点是，搭便车的量化方法仅在涉及非黑即白的政策选择和非此即彼的政策决定时才有用。同时，当我们面临更复杂的情况时，它会失败，其中评估超出了非常简单的数字标记，例如国防支出的 2% 阈值。通过将独特的区域重点（欧洲东部和中东）、理论困境（搭便车）和政策问题（从战略利益和实际接触方面理解的北约多边合作框架）结合起来，我们能够表明罗马尼亚是一个微妙的搭便车者，仅凭数字无法证实这一点，