The European Union as a Weak Actor in a Complex and Unstable International System

The EU was born as a political regime with the aim of bringing peace and security to a continent devastated by two world wars in a period of thirty years. Success was achieved thanks to integration (supranationality) and the protection of a great power (the United States), which exercised control in the different regional security regimes. Thanks to this predominance, the EU was able to enjoy a certain international prominence. However, the growing deterioration of the international order because of the struggle between revisionist powers and the hegemon, reveals the lack of capacity of the European organisation to maintain not only an independent position, but also to exert influence in the closest spaces. This article aims to analyse the role that the EU can play as an actor in a complex and unstable world.