European Security in Flux: The OSCE’s First Dimension from Détente to Disruption

This article is part of the Special Issue on “The OSCE at 50: Reflections on security, cooperation and human rights”, published on a rolling basis between July and November 2025. The Special Issue was curated and edited by Walter Kemp and Christian Strohal, Security and Human Rights Monitor Editorial Board members and guest editors-in chief.

Professor Fred Tanner, Ambassador (ret.) is Senior Advisor at the Center for Strategic Analysis in Vienna. He also serves on the Strategy and Security Policy Advisory Board of the BMLV (Austrian Federal Ministry of National Defence) Science Commission. Seconded by the Swiss government, Fred Tanner worked for several years at the OSCE, as Senior Adviser for the Secretary General and more recently until August 2020 for the Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre.

DOI: 1058866/SXUL3604

Abstract

The article looks at the history and enduring relevance of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)’s First Dimension, which covers politico-military issues. Tracing the evolution from the Cold War period to the current rupture, it argues that while cooperative security has yielded to deterrence, the Helsinki Final Act’s normative infrastructure remains essential for managing risk and preventing escalation. The analysis advocates a pragmatic shift toward basic risk reduction, leveraging the OSCE’s “soft” assets and adapting existing instruments—such as the Vienna Document—to address emerging technologies for example armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Ultimately, preserving the OSCE acquis provides vital tools for navigating confrontation while safeguarding the foundations for future stability.