Abstract
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared her ambition to lead a “geopolitical Commission” upon taking office in 2019, at a time when debate over EU “strategic autonomy” was intensifying. Promoted most visibly by French President Emmanuel Macron during Donald Trump’s first presidency, marked by open doubts about NATO, this debate was driven by growing concern over Russian and Chinese influence in the EU’s neighbourhood, particularly in the Western Balkans (WB6). These concerns spanned the information space and critical infrastructure, extending even to EU member states participating in China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Yet despite heightened rhetoric, the EU’s geopolitical development lagged behind its ambitions and remained largely reactive. This gap became evident during China’s Covid-19 “mask and vaccine diplomacy” and, more decisively, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. These exogenous shocks prompted renewed EU engagement with enlargement. The accession process in the Western Balkans was revived after being stalled in 2019, and pathways were opened for Eastern Partnership countries, notably Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia. Nevertheless, despite multiple reforms and initiatives, including the 2024 Growth Plan, the EU’s underlying approach toward long-standing Balkan candidates has remained largely unchanged. The return of Donald Trump to the White House in 2025 has further unsettled the international order. US strategic documents now envision a world structured around competing hegemons, the United States, China, and Russia, with Europe relegated to a subordinate role rather than recognized as an autonomous geopolitical actor. The downgrading of democratic values as a policy objective, alongside actions such as the January 2026 US intervention in Venezuela, illustrates this shift. Europe has yet to articulate a coherent response, although divergent visions emerged in 2026 from leaders in Canada, France, and Ukraine. The proposed paper, drawing on data collected within the Geo-Power-EU project, argues that an EU geopolitics grounded in democratic values has a clear demand base among eastern candidates and potentially the Western Balkans. This normative distinction from hegemonic powers represents a strategic asset that should underpin the EU’s approach to enlargement and collective defence.
Panel: Geopolitical Power Europe: A Reality Check in Western Balkans and Eastern Neighbourhood
Cite this presentation
@inproceedings{eiss-2026-filling-the-eu-s-identity-void-from-without-and-within-forging-a-geopolitics-of,
author = {Kurt Bassuener},
title = {Filling the EU’s Identity Void from Without and Within – Forging a Geopolitics of Values},
booktitle = {European Security Studies Conference 2026},
year = {2026},
url = {https://eiss-europa.com/papers/2026-filling-the-eu-s-identity-void-from-without-and-within-forging-a-geopolitics-of.html}
}