The State of the European Union. The European Parliament faces its most important elections yet

109 In the previous two editions of this report, I have analysed the development of the EU’s foreign and security policy, and – in particular – its de- fence policy, following the presentation of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) in June 2016, which established the important principle of strategic autonomy and has had a major impact on the development of the EU’s defence policy. Background This chapter will reflect on the progress that has been made towards creating an EU that pro- tects its citizens, with growing momentum be- hind a defence policy and the development of an EU foreign policy. This has, to a large degree, been made possible as a result of the Brexit ref- erendum, which has meant that the United Protecting its citizens is becoming an ever more central part of the European Union’s job, with the development of the Common Security and Defence Policy and the implementation of Permanent Structured Cooperation Francisco Aldecoa Luzarraga