The European Union as a Foreign Policy Actor in a Changing International Order

Abstract

This panel examines how the European Union understands and performs its role as a foreign policy actor amid profound transformations of the international order. The papers analyse shifting geopolitical landscapes, the EU’s risk perceptions and strategic caution, and the challenges of maintaining actorness under conditions of increasing polarisation. Several contributions focus on how EU institutions—including the European Parliament—respond to external pressures such as China’s growing presence in Europe. Taken together, the panel explores whether the EU is adapting effectively to a more contested and uncertain global environment, or whether risk aversion and internal constraints continue to limit its foreign policy ambitions.

Title	Details
The European Union and the Changing International Order: The Example of the SAFE Initiative	View Paper Details
The End of an Era?: East–West Security Arrangements and the EU’s Search for Strategic Autonomy	View Paper Details
Fortress of Caution: The European Union as a Risk-Averse Global Actor	View Paper Details
"European geopolitical landscape - what lessons can we learn from Finland's example?"	View Paper Details
EU Actorness in Times of Geopolitical Polarization and the Dual Quest for the Pursuit of Open Strategic Autonomy: A Conceptualization.	View Paper Details