Oldal 154 [154]
Global Europe and strategic sovereignty!
Zsolt Nagy, Zoltán Simon, Viktor Szép, and Tamás Dezső Ziegler?
Strategic autonomy and strategic sovereignty are popular buzzwords in EU
politics and studies nowadays. This is the combined consequence of our rapidly
changing multipolar world of increasing great power rivalry externally, and
several fear factors within Europe internally. The concept of strategic autonomy
- as the ability to act together with partners when possible and alone when
needed - emerged from the realm of security and defence, but has now evolved
into the comprehensive idea of strategic sovereignty, which also covers a number
of other areas, such as trade, health, digital, energy, agriculture, or foreign
policies, to name but a few. Nevertheless, EU autonomy in the field of security
and defence remains a core issue, as a more autonomous Union in the political,
operational, and industrial dimensions of this policy is in the interest of Europe
and its allies alike. In the broader context, two significant areas of strategic
sovereignty — along with others - are the EU’s trade and sanctions policies.
Trade has traditionally been a key external policy for the Union, while its free¬
trade-oriented paradigm is facing growing criticism and pressure. Member
States also have to decide whether they let business actors shape and steer this
policy, or enhance political leadership in this field, and whether they wish to
use trade, more than is the case today, as a toolbox for strengthening the EU’s
global stance and supporting its geopolitical objectives. Last but not least, the
Union’s sanctions policy has grown into a genuine foreign policy instrument
in the EU’s external relations, opening up new vistas for more autonomous
action without endangering core alliances and partnerships. Nevertheless, the
ways these sanction mechanisms are used and their efficiency continue to be
challenged by many.
Keywords: strategic autonomy, strategic sovereignty, security and defence,
trade, restrictive measures
Manuscript of the chapter completed in December 2021.
The views and comments presented in this book chapter are part of the authors’ individual
research and publication activities, and do not represent in any way or to any extent the
positions of the institutions they are an official of, or employed by.