Abstract Today’s revival of geopolitics is challenging the global order and leaving the European Union (EU) seemingly squeezed between the United States as a reluctant hegemon and rising powers such as China. Most importantly, the EU lacks the currency of geopolitics, namely its own military capabilities. How can it nevertheless project power in these new geopolitics? We argue that the EU is emerging as a dual security manager. It aligns with like-minded partners in a division of labor to weaponize adversaries, and, at the same time, it also orchestrates member states to enhance their military might. Hence, the EU projects power both horizontally and vertically; and it does so best at the intersection of security and economics. “Taking the EU seriously” implies an emphasis on process rather than structure, on multi-level governance rather than sovereign government, and on the opportunities provided by indirect rather than direct influence.
Daßler et al. (2026) studied this question.