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EurActiv (6 December 2022)

By Ricardo Borges de Castro

Russia’s war on Ukraine and its consequences for Europe’s security order usher the European integration project into a new chapter: The phase of power, writes Ricardo Borges de Castro.

After the phase of ‘peace and reconciliation’ (1951-1991) and the phase of ‘prosperity and reunification’ (1991-2021), the European Union needs now to adapt to a new context of permacrisis that is more uncertain, volatile, and unpredictable than before. Hard power has become a key currency of international politics and the EU should adjust to this evolving reality.

Although the EU has attempted unsuccessfully in the past to become a more credible geopolitical actor, the events unleashed by Russia on 24 February 2022 are a watershed moment for Europe, and the Union can only thrive if it learns and speaks the language of power in this new environment.

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