The Geopolitical Shift and the Challenge to European Integration

In the introductory chapter of the book, the authors discuss the implications for the European Union (EU) of the transformation of the international system and the return of geopolitics. Since the mid-2010s, the international system has undergone a fundamental shift away from a liberal world order towards an alternative order characterised by great-power rivalry, which presents major challenges for the EU’s competitiveness, security, and green transition. The chapter highlights the transformation of the global order by examining the origins of geopolitics. It then proceeds to analyse the measures that the EU has adopted so far to address the challenges posed by a geopolitically driven international system. The chapter concludes with an overview of the subsequent chapters of the book which, from various perspectives, examine how the EU is navigating the geopolitical shift.