The so-called liberal international order – the system of norms, rules and institutions that some would argue have been the bedrock of international cooperation since the Second World War – is under threat both from revisionist powers including China and Russia and the current US administration. In this context, many have urged Europe to defend, and save, the liberal international order. But is it in a position to do so?
Can the European Union – which is itself still struggling with a series of ongoing crises that have deepened the faultlines between member states – stand up to China and Russia on the one hand and the United States on the other? Or must it change to adapt to a new world of great power competition?
