The emergence of new powers fundamentally questions the traditional views on international relations, multilateralism or security as a range of countries now competes for regional and global leadership - economically, politically, technologically and militarily. As the focus of international attention shifts from the Atlantic to the Pacific, the European states in particular are seen to lose influence relative to the emerging economic powerhouses of China, Russia, India and Brazil. European nations find themselves too small to engage meaningfully with these continent-sized powers and, in an increasingly multipolar world are concerned their influence can only continue to decline. This book analyses the shifts in the structure of global power and examines the threats and opportunities they bring to Europe. Leading European Contributors reflect on how the EU can utilise collective strength to engage and compete with rapidly developing nations. They examine perceptions of the EU among the emerging powers and the true meaning and nature of any strategic partnerships negotiated. Finally they explore the shape and structure of the international system in the 21st century and how the EU can contribute to and shape it.

This book argues that Europe, through the European Union (EU), should act as a great power in the 21st century. The course of world politics is determined by the interaction between great powers. Those powers are the US, the established power; Russia, the declining power; China, the rising power; and the EU, the power that doesn’t know whether it wants to be a power. If the EU does not just want to undergo the policies of the other powers it will have to become one itself, but it should differ in its strategy. In this book, Sven Biscop seeks to demonstrate that the EU has the means to pursue a distinctive great power strategy, a middle way between dreamy idealism and unprincipled pragmatism, and can play a crucial stabilizing role in this increasingly unstable world. Written by a leading scholar, this book will be of much interest to students of European security, EU policy, strategic studies and international relations.

A look at the future of Europe drawing on the experience and foresight of some of the leading journalists working in Europe today, as well as the visions of heads of state, government ministers, corporate magnates, entrepreneurs, and young people from each of the 15 European Union member countries.

The book examines the rising influence of emerging powers in global politics, with a special focus on the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China). Chapters contributed by international scholars first look at the changing status of the US in the 21st century and at the EU as both an emerging and innovative power. China's rising power status, India's regional and global influence, Russia's re-emergence, and Brazil's growing regional and international role are then analyzed comparatively to explain how the BRIC states are poised to become vital players not only in politics and economy, but also in key international concerns such as terrorism, globalization, and climate change. The book provides a detailed analysis of political, economic, security, and foreign policy trends in the BRIC countries to address such questions as to whether they will seek to revise the international order or work within it and how they will deal with transnational global problems. Using a unique comparative approach, the text will appeal to undergraduate students in world politics, international relations, and foreign policy.

The study of power is the nucleus of political science and international relations. As a shift of power from traditional industrial countries to emerging powers has been perceived since the turn of the century, this book aims to present innovative theoretical and empirical approaches that can increase our understanding of this transition. Scholars from the fields of international relations, international political economy, economics and security studies not only explore current theoretical debates on ‘power’ and ‘power shifts’ among entities, but also provide fresh insights into relevant aspects of international power in the 21st century. With a particular focus on aspects of international security, trade and production, new methods of identifying power and its sources are presented, and their potential implications and challenges are discussed.

The European Union in the 21st Century takes a fresh look at a complex and ever-changing organization by examining its pursuit of two very different objectives: power (security and political weight) and plenty (economic growth and social welfare). Nikolaos Zahariadis aims to help students understand these two objectives and how the tension between them affects different issue areas, illuminating how each objective represents a different perspective on what the EU is and what it does. The book also introduces students to the systematic thinking that political scientists employ to see the connections between policies, institutions, and actors. By unpacking the various perspectives, students will gain greater insight into how policymakers think and why EU leaders make the kinds of decisions they do.

The contributors to this book are all members of EuropEos, a multidisciplinary group of jurists, economists, political scientists, and journalists in an ongoing forum discussing European institutional issues. The essays analyze emerging shifts in common policies, institutional settings, and legitimization, sketching out possible scenarios for the European Union of the 21st century. They are grouped into three sections, devoted to economics and consensus, international projection of the Union, and the institutional framework. Even after the major organizational reforms introduced to the EU by the new Treaty of Lisbon, which came into force in December 2009, Europe appears to remain an entity in flux, in search of its ultimate destiny. In line with the very essence of EuropEos, the views collected in this volume are sometimes at odds in their specific conclusions, but they stem from a common commitment to the European construction.