Since the ambition of a “geopolitical Commission” and Josep Borrell’s subsequent call for a European “geopolitical awakening”, a growing academic debate has emerged around the transformation of the EU as a global actor. Concepts such as the geopolitical turn, geopoliticisation and geopolitical actorness have been mobilised to capture the EU’s evolving engagement with world affairs. Yet, while geopolitical language has become increasingly prominent, the extent to which these discursive changes translate into changes in practice remains insufficiently understood. This creates a clear need to explore the implications of the strategic recalibration of EU foreign policy beyond changing narratives.
This panel proposes to confront geopolitical rhetoric with policy practices by examining whether, where and how claims of geopolitical actorness translate into substantive changes in EU external action. It seeks to empirically assess the extent to which such changes are observable across multilateral, bilateral and interregional relations. The panel aims to open a discussion around EU policy initiatives such as Global Gateway, changing strategic priorities and emerging diplomatic practices. In doing so, it invites researchers to contribute to a more robust theoretical understanding of ongoing transformations in the EU’s international engagement. Conversely, the persistence of established practices beneath increasingly geopolitical narratives may reveal important limits and contradictions to the proclaimed transformation of European foreign policy.
The panel welcomes contributions investigating transformations, continuities and contradictions across different areas of EU external action. Papers may address developments in CFSP and CSDP, enlargement policy, development and international cooperation, or strategic partnerships. Bilateral and interregional perspectives are equally welcome, including studies of relations with major powers, EU–ASEAN, EU–Mercosur, or other relevant regional settings. Contributions may also investigate the EU’s engagement with the rules-based international order and multilateral institutions such as the UN, WTO, IMF and World Bank, asking whether heightened geopolitical competition has transformed, reinforced or challenged established European commitments to multilateralism.
Rather than assuming the existence of a coherent geopolitical turn, the panel seeks to assess its empirical substance and boundaries. Bringing together diverse theoretical, methodological and empirical perspectives will enable comparison of the different manifestations of geopolitical change across EU external policies and help distinguish substantive policy transformation from rhetorical adaptation. In doing so, the panel aims to contribute to broader theoretical debates on the changing nature, coherence and limits of EU geopolitical actorness.
