ABSTRACT
The European Security Strategy, the first strategic reflection at the European Union (EU) level, adopted in 2003, opened with: ‘Europe has never been so prosperous, so secure nor so free’ (European Council, 2003). The optimism of this statement contrasts starkly with the opening remarks of the EU Global Strategy of 2016, which states: ‘We live in times of existential crisis, within and beyond the European Union. Our Union is under threat. Our European project, which has brought unprecedented peace, prosperity and democracy, is being questioned’ (EEAS, 2016). This assessment remained ever more relevant by 2022. Over the past decade, the EU has faced increasing political, economic and existential challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic that emerged in Europe in early 2020 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine that commenced in February 2022 have served to compound these difficulties. Such challenges, however, also bring opportunities, as increasing interdependence allows for increased co-operation on issues of common interest, not only within the EU, but also at the global level.
