The EU as a Global Actor

In the last years, the ability of the European Union (EU) to conduct a credible foreign policy and to affirm its presence as a global actor has been linked to its capacity to act autonomously. The concept of strategic autonomy has been mentioned in relation to a number of EU external policies and vis-à-vis several international partners. It has become particularly relevant in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and increasing geopolitical competition. Nevertheless, the EU’s aspiration to achieve strategic autonomy remains questioned amid the lack of clarity on the concept’s criteria and boundaries. A number of internal and external challenges have also impinged upon the EU’s ability to become a global actor, including the difficulty to make tangible progress in the field of European defence and the management of the transatlantic relationship. At the same time, the need to find a role in the mounting confrontation between the US and China, the challenge of a more muscular Russian foreign policy, and the increasing influence of competing regional actors in its neighbourhood requires from the EU a prioritisation of its strategic engagements and the implementation of a more assertive foreign policy. These challenges are taking place in a context of increasing contestation over the values and norms guiding the EU’s external action. This section invites scholars to consider the conceptual, theoretical and empirical implications of the internal and external challenges faced by EU foreign policy in a more contested post-pandemic world.  We also invite a broad selection of methodological approaches and contrasting paradigmatic perspectives to consider the Union’s place in the world, its role in meeting specific policy challenges, and the broader set of its global relationships and responsibilities. Particularly welcome will be papers and panels that look at non-traditional approaches and those that contribute meaningfully to theory-building and methodological innovation.