Strategic autonomy has become a key reference in debates about the EU’s external action, far beyond the defense domain. This course proposes to situate this concept within broader discussions about EU grand strategy, including tensions between visions of a more geopolitical EU and approaches advocating a broader “planetary grand strategy.” It presents the origins of the term in the national political discourse of major member states, as well as its rapid ascent to prominence in the EU context. Students are invited to debate the meaning and significance of strategic autonomy for the EU’s role in the world. They are confronted with the various interpretations that co-exist inside the EU, but also among third countries such as the United States. Whereas its performance has often given rise to critique and the diagnosis of a “capability-expectations gap”, there is an incessant demand for further EU actorness and action both from internal stakeholders that see the EU as a “force for the good”, and from external partners that expect the EU to show leadership in areas ranging from military procurement to trade and digital politics. Finally, the course assesses the feasibility of EU strategic autonomy in light of EU’s enduring challenges, including populism and nationalism, population ageing, migration, and financial constraints which cripple several of its most influential members.
IGA-662