The EU, a security actor? Strategic autonomy or just strategic ambiguity?

• Florence School of Transnational Governance

The STG Talks, held weekly at Badia Fiesolana and online, serve as a space for discussion for the STG community and beyond. Led by the STG Fellows, the talks are a place for informal learning and exchange on global issues affecting different areas of policymaking.

In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Union (EU) has increasingly found itself with its back against the wall. As a new geopolitical reality has set in, European Security is now under immense pressure, and the EU has been forced to advance its thinking of its geopolitical role.

With the Trumpian shifts in the strategic relationship between the EU and the US, it is evident that Europe can no longer blindly rely on its NATO partners and that its fledgling desires for strategic autonomy, and a more robust foreign policy framework must be advanced. The EU has taken gradual steps towards this, and efforts such as the Strategic Compass have steadily shaped the forward path.  

But, with 27 internal voices and 27 sets of vested interests, can the EU push for a new grand strategy for the Union, and will it be able to lift the heavy burden that strategic autonomy and a robust foreign policy will require? 

Speakers:

• Alexander Borum, Policy Leader Fellow
• Fabrizio Tassinari, Executive Director, Florence School of Transnational Governance
• Trine Flockhart, Chair in Security Studies, Florence School of Transnational Governance
• Elizabeth O'Brien, Policy Leader Fellow

The event will be held in a hybrid setting. When registering please indicate if you wish to attend the event in person or online. Zoom link will be provided after registration.