A Strong EU for a Balanced World
Keywords:
Stabilizing Counterweight, Multipolarity, Geopolitical Enlargement, Strategic AutonomyAbstract
Introduction: The evolving multipolar international order, increasingly shaped by strategic competition between the United States and China, has intensified debate over the European Union’s capacity to act as an independent geopolitical actor. This paper examines how a stronger and more cohesive EU could contribute to global power equilibrium, with particular attention to strategic autonomy and enlargement as instruments of geopolitical influence. Methods: The study employs a qualitative review and policy-analysis approach. It synthesizes recent academic literature, European Union policy documents, institutional communications, and contemporary policy analyses concerning EU–US and EU–China relations, European strategic autonomy, and the ongoing enlargement process. Particular attention is given to developments involving Ukraine, Moldova, the Western Balkans, transatlantic trade relations, and EU dependence on Chinese critical supply chains. Results: The analysis indicates that enlargement can increase the EU’s economic, demographic, geographic, and geopolitical weight and strengthen its capacity to act as a stabilizing counterweight within an increasingly multipolar international system. Recent accession developments involving Ukraine and Moldova illustrate the growing geopolitical role of enlargement. However, greater territorial and economic scale does not automatically produce strategic autonomy. Internal divisions among member states, unanimity-based decision-making, dependence on United States security guarantees, and reliance on Chinese strategic supply chains continue to constrain the EU’s capacity for collective action. Conclusion: A stronger EU can contribute to a more balanced and multilateral global order, but enlargement alone is insufficient. Its geopolitical benefits depend on parallel institutional reform, greater economic and security resilience, diversification of external dependencies, and stronger political cohesion. Enlargement and internal reform should therefore be pursued as complementary elements of a broader European strategy for strategic autonomy and global influence.
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