EU Foreign Policy in a Fragmenting International Order - Hardcover

by Oriol Costa (Editor), Eduard Soler I. Lecha (Editor), Martijn C. Vlaskamp (Editor)

This open access book delves into the responses of EU actors, such as member states, institutions, and political groups in the European Parliament, to the fragmentation of the liberal international order (LIO). The analytical framework adopted in this volume explores the diverse interpretations of this phenomenon and the various political initiatives associated with them. Among these interpretations is the concept of strategic autonomy, which has emerged as a key feature of debates surrounding the EU's adaptation to a fragmented LIO. The contributors examine these dynamics across different issue areas and dimensions of EU foreign policy, encompassing the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), external relations, and the externalization of internal policies. They use the term fragmentation to refer to a bundle of processes affecting the LIO that range from challenges to the universality of human rights to the crisis of global governance instruments, from the bifurcation of tech to protectionist tendencies in trade policies.

Back Jacket

"As the liberal order fragments and Europe struggles to change skin in response, Costa, Soler i Lecha and Vlaskamp's volume provides an invaluable compass to uncover the underlying political dynamics and policy trajectories in the EU's changing and at times contradictory external action."

--Nathalie Tocci, Director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali, Italy

"To address the key question of how the EU is responding to international fragmentation, this volume intelligently spans through different policy realms and dissects the worldviews - nationalist, Atlanticist, Europeanist - behind the politics shaping the EU's future direction. By marrying international relations theory with policy analysis, this book is a must read for scholars and practitioners alike."

- Rosa Balfour, Director of Carnegie Europe, Belgium

"Many of the certainties that have guided EU foreign policy over the past decades are being questioned. This book comes at the right time to help guide us in our understanding of the EU's place in international order. A stellar line-up of authors unpack what a fragmented international order means for Europe and the world."

- Daniel Fiott, Head of the Defence and Statecraft Programme at the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium

This open access book delves into the responses of EU actors, such as member states, institutions, and political groups in the European Parliament, to the fragmentation of the liberal international order (LIO). The analytical framework explores the diverse interpretations of this phenomenon and the various political initiatives associated with them, including strategic autonomy, a key feature of debates surrounding the EU's adaptation to a fragmented LIO. Contributors examine these dynamics across different issue areas and dimensions of EU foreign policy, encompassing Common Foreign and Security Policy, external relations, and the externalization of internal policies.

Oriol Costa is Associate Professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and Senior Research Associate at IBEI, Spain.

Eduard Soler i Lecha is Associate Professor at the UAB, Spain.

Martijn Vlaskamp is Assistant Professor at the Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals (IBEI), Spain.

Author Biography

Oriol Costa is Associate Professor of International Relations at the UAB (Autonomous University of Barcelona) and Senior Research Associate at IBEI (Barcelona Institute for International Studies), Spain.

Eduard Soler i Lecha is Associate Professor of International Relations at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain

Martijn Vlaskamp is Assistant Professor at the Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals (IBEI), Spain.