The European Union in an Era of Strategic Contestation

Abstract

The European Union faces unprecedented pressures as populist movements challenge its legitimacy from within, member states pursue divergent foreign policy objectives, and external shocks test its institutional capacity. These dynamics raise fundamental questions about the EU's ability to maintain cohesion while adapting to a contested political environment. This panel examines how the EU navigates internal and external challenges to its authority and integration project. How do populist actors and governments strategically engage with EU institutions—cooperating on some issues while obstructing others? Under what conditions do member states use obstruction as a tool of foreign policy rather than ideological opposition? When facing structural pressures for both deeper integration and national autonomy, how does the EU adapt its governance models and institutional practices? The panel explores mechanisms of contestation and adaptation, from communication strategies that shape public support for cooperation, to institutional responses to democratic backsliding, to flexible arrangements that enable differentiated integration in security and defense. It investigates how external crises create opportunities for institutional innovation while simultaneously empowering actors who challenge supranational authority. The panel contributes to understanding how regional organizations manage internal fragmentation and external pressure in the 21st century, examining the conditions under which contestation leads to adaptation, paralysis, or transformation of governance structures.

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