Studia Europejskie - Studies in European Affairs

06/07/2025

What would a second Trump presidency mean for the international order? In his latest analytical essay, Professor Krzysztof Feliks Śliwiński (Hong Kong Baptist University) offers a compelling, theory-informed examination of the geopolitical implications of Donald Trump’s potential return to the White House in 2025. Drawing on both historical context and strategic forecasting, the article explores how Trump’s renewed “America First” agenda might affect transatlantic relations, NATO cohesion, the war in Ukraine, EU strategic autonomy, and the broader dynamics in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific. Śliwiński warns that a second Trump term can significantly disrupt existing alliances and accelerate the shift toward a multipolar global order. This is a must-read for scholars, analysts, and decision-makers interested in security studies, U.S. foreign policy, and the future of Europe’s global positioning.
📖 Full text of the article “The Geopolitical Implications of a Second Trump Administration: Perspectives for Europe and Beyond”, published in “Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs” No. 1/2025 in pdf format is available free of charge here: https://journalse.com/the-geopolitical-implications-of-a-second-trump-administration-perspectives-for-europe-and-beyond/

03/07/2025

In an increasingly transactional international order, where states prioritize short-term gains over shared norms, how does the European Union maintain its relevance and influence? Professor Goran Ilik from “St. Kliment Ohridski” University – Bitola and Professor Artur Adamczyk from University of Warsaw try to answer these questions in their article “The EU’s Compensatory Power amid Global Transactionalism” published in “Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs”.
This paper introduces the concept of “compensatory power”, a form of soft power that strengthens the EU’s so-called “value influence” through structured cooperation with international partners — the EU’s strategic response to external pressure from assertive global actors. It explores how the EU uses incentives, institutional leverage, and regulatory tools to counterbalance transactional behavior by powers such as the US, China, and Russia.
🔎 Key questions addressed:
• what is compensatory power, and how does it differ from traditional forms of influence;
• how is the EU applying this strategy in trade, security, and foreign policy;
• can this approach help preserve the EU’s normative agenda in a shifting geopolitical landscape?

📖 Full text in pdf format is available free of charge here: https://journalse.com/the-eus-compensatory-power-amid-global-transactionalism/

01/07/2025

🔎 Can the European Union Redefine Its Role in the Emerging Global Order?
As the global geopolitical landscape shifts from unipolarity toward a multipolar configuration, the European Union faces a critical moment of strategic reflection. How will it position itself in a world increasingly shaped by U.S.–China rivalry, the rise of the Global South, and the resurgence of hard power?
I encourage you to read the thought-provoking article “The European Union in a New Emerging Global Order”, by Professor Bogdan Góralczyk, from the Centre for Europe at the University of Warsaw, published in the “Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs.

📖 Full text in pdf format is available free of charge here: https://journalse.com/the-european-union-in-a-new-emerging-global-order/

Why is it worth reading?
– It offers a comprehensive, research-based analysis of the EU’s strategic dilemmas,
– It explores the concepts of strategic autonomy, institutional resilience, and enlargement policy,
– It situates the EU within the broader context of global systemic competition,
– It provides valuable insights for scholars of international relations, European integration, and global governance.
📘 If your research touches on geopolitics, EU foreign policy, or the future of the international order – this article is a must-read.
Let’s continue the academic conversation on Europe’s role in a world in flux.

09/06/2025

The article “The EU and Global Order in Transition, i.e. Civilian Power in Power Politics and the Post‑Peace World” by Prof. Kamil Zajączkowski (University of Warsaw), explores the evolving role of the European Union as a civilian power navigating a world of rising geopolitical tension. Professor Zajączkowski highlights several key issues:
1) civilian power vs. political-military reality – the EU’s identity is historically tied to civilian instruments – principles, diplomacy, trade, norms. But in today’s competitive environment, these tools clash with global power politics and military realpolitik.
2) influence of the Trump era – the unpredictable stance of the U.S. under Trump has challenged traditional transatlantic security frameworks. This shift prompts the EU to reconsider its reliance on U.S. defense guarantees and reevaluate its strategic autonomy.
3) post-peace world complexity – the EU is increasingly operating in a “post-peace” context – diplomatic norms no longer guarantee stability. The article analyzes how the EU adapts (or fails to) amid competition from Russia, China, and other powers.
4) need for strategic recalibration – it calls for a strategic shift: enhancing geopolitical awareness, investing in military capabilities, and aligning civilian tools (e.g. diplomacy, trade, norm setting) with credible security structures.
Prof. Zajączkowski argues that the EU’s traditional civilian power must evolve: to remain relevant, it should blend normative influence with strategic and defense readiness. Without this blend, it risks being sidelined in an increasingly contested global order.

Read full versions of this article publised in pdf format which is available free of charge at: https://journalse.com/the-eu-and-global-order-in-transition-i-e-civilian-power-in-power-politics-and-the-post-peace-world/

We wish you pleasant reading!

03/06/2025

Article written by Zbigniew Czachór and Piotr Baranowski “The International Life of the European Union: Systems Theory, European Integration, and International Relations” – published in the quarterly "Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs" No. 1/2025 explores the European Union as a complex adaptive system shaped by the interactions and decisions of its Member States. It analyzes how the EU’s ability to act internationally depends not on its own independent agency, but on the institutionalized will of its members. The article delves into the dynamics of adaptation, feedback mechanisms, and structural evolution within the EU, emphasizing the tension between integration and sovereignty. Readers will gain insight into how the EU responds to international signals, manages internal cohesion, and faces the possibility of either transformation or systemic crisis. This thought-provoking analysis invites reflection on the future trajectory of European integration in an ever-changing global environment.

Read full versions of this article publised in pdf format which is available free of charge at: https://journalse.com/the-international-life-of-the-european-union-systems-theory-european-integration-and-international-relations/

We wish you pleasant reading!

We would like to remind you that all articles from the other issues of “Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs” are available in open access here: https://journalse.com/issues/

27/05/2025

Dimitrios Rozakis, from the University of Peloponnese in Greece, in his article “The Idea of the European Union as a Cosmopolitan Empire: A Critical Assessment”, published in the scientific quarterly “Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs” No. 1/2025, critically analyzes the concept of the European Union as a “cosmopolitan empire”, proposed by Ulrich Beck and Edgar Grande (2007).
Compared to abstract universalism and to national relativism, the cosmopolitan ideal can be seen as a higher synthesis. However, this synthesis, when translated into practice, reveals certain ambiguities that undermine its feasibility.
This perspective entails a profound openness and inclusion of the so-called “others”. An empire is supposed to be a political structure capable of incorporating differences within a transnational framework of governance. However, this concept sits uneasily with the historically-embedded meanings of European imperial practice which are better captured through the concept of a “neo-medieval empire” proposed by Jan Zielonka (2007).
The amalgamation between these two ideals may lead not only to the incapacity to acknowledge the juridical equality of entities adhering to the same principle of legitimacy, but also in the failure to establish even a minimal framework for regulating relations between heterogeneous political entities.
Is cosmopolitanism still awaiting its political philosophy?

Read full versions of this article publised in pdf format which is available free of charge at: https://journalse.com/the-idea-of-the-european-union-as-a-cosmopolitan-empire-a-critical-assessment/
We wish you pleasant reading!

19/05/2025

Can a civilian power such as the EU assert its influence in an increasingly volatile, if not uncivil, international environment?
If Europe is reverting to a state of national ambitions, manipulation, and aggression, a largely civilian power such as the EU may well be doomed.
When faced with outbreaks of violence just outside its borders, the European Union has proven to be paralyzed, if not powerless. This is because of its cumbersome decision-making process and the lack of military capabilities at the disposal of the EU's center.

The question that Professor Jan Zielonka, a lawyer and political scientist – a lecturer at the University of Warsaw, the University of Oxford and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, among others – seeks to answer in his article published in “Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs” 1/2025 is therefore what can be done about this apparent powerlessness?

Read full versions of this article publised in “Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs” in pdf format which is available free of charge at: https://journalse.com/can-a-civilian-power-survive-in-an-uncivilised-world/
We wish you pleasant reading!

07/05/2025

To już dzisiaj - w samo południe, w Auli Starego BUWu, Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego (Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28) - odbędzie się seminarium: "Unia Europejska w zmieniającym się porządku międzynarodowym, czyli civilian power w świecie power politics i Trumpa 2.0". Zapraszamy!
A cały numer kwartalnika "Studia Europejskie - Studies in European Affairs" poświęcony tej tematyce jest dostępny bezpłatnie online: https://journalse.com/1-2025/.
Życzymy miłej lektury!

📢 TO JUŻ JUTRO!

Już jutro zapraszamy na seminarium: "Unia Europejska w zmieniającym się porządku międzynarodowym, czyli civilian power w świecie power politics i Trumpa 2.0" 🌎!

🗓 Data: 7 maja (środa) 2025 r.
🕒 Godzina: 12:00
📍 Miejsce: Aula Starego BUWu, Uniwersytet Warszawski (Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28)
🗒️ Program: https://www.ce.uw.edu.pl/zaproszenie-na-seminarium-unia.../

Dyskusja podzielona będzie na dwa panele tematyczne:
➡️ UE w wielobiegunowym świecie polityki siły
➡️ UE jako aktor globalny – aspekty prawne i wewnętrzne uwarunkowania

💬 Wśród panelistów m.in.: JM prof. Alojzy Nowak, prof. Jan Zielonka, prof. Bogdan Góralczyk, dr hab. Beata Piskorska, dr Małgorzata Bonikowska i wiele więcej!

Zapraszamy do wspólnej refleksji nad wyzwaniami stojącymi przed Unią Europejską i jej przyszłą rolą na arenie międzynarodowej 🇪🇺!

05/05/2025

The article “The Capability-Expectations Gap in a Time of War” by Christopher Hill, published in “Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs” no. 1/2025, revisits the concept of the capability-expectations gap, originally introduced by the author in 1993 in the context of the European Union’s foreign policy.

Hill reflects on how the relationship between the EU’s foreign policy ambitions and its actual capacity to act has evolved over the past three decades. He notes that while the gap has narrowed – mainly due to more realistic approaches by member states regarding decision-making, resources, and instruments – a fully unified external policy remains elusive. Populist sovereigntism and divergent national interests continue to hinder consistent and cohesive action among the EU’s 27 member states.

The article offers a timely and insightful contribution to the debate on the future of EU foreign policy, particularly in light of current geopolitical and security challenges.

Read full versions of this article publised in “Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs” in pdf format which is available free of charge at: https://journalse.com/the-capability-expectations-gap-in-a-time-of-war/

We wish you pleasant reading!

29/04/2025

The competition for global influence – encompassing economic, political and military dimensions – is set to reach its highest intensity since the Cold War in the coming decade.
The profound effects of wars, pandemics, ecological crises, uncontrolled migration and, above all, the global technological revolution are causing profound and multifaceted structural changes that affect billions of people around the world.
Professor Alojzy Z. Nowak, Rector of the University of Warsaw, in his article examines the dilemmas of globalization in the 21st century, emphasizing the role and significance of lessons learned from global free trade and the potential directions for restructuring the existing global economic order. In doing so, he seeks to answer the question of how the model of the market economy may evolve in the near future.
Read full versions of this article publised in “Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs” in pdf format which is available free of charge at: https://journalse.com/globalisation-deglobalisation-reindustrialisation/
We wish you pleasant reading!

We would like to remind you that all articles from the other issues of “Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs” are available in open access here: https://journalse.com/issues/

18/04/2025

Europe Facing Global Change – The New Issue of "Studies in European Affairs" is Now Available

We invite you to read the latest issue of the quarterly “Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs” No. 1/2025, which focuses on the current challenges facing the European Union in a rapidly changing international order. Among the topics covered, you will find an analysis of the EU’s role as a civilian power in a world dominated by power politics, reflections on the future of globalization and reindustrialization, an assessment of the EU’s capacity for strategic foresight and action in an unstable environment, a discussion on the potential impact of Donald Trump’s second presidential term on Europe and the world.

Full versions of the articles published in “Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs” No. 1/2025 in pdf format are available free of charge at: https://journalse.com/1-2025/

We wish you pleasant reading!

The scientific quarterly “Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs” has been continuously published since 1997 and is of a multidisciplinary nature. It constitutes a forum where Europeanists can present their achievements and which enables the dissemination of their research. It is als...

03/04/2025

International trade remains a crucial factor in global economic stability, yet it is increasingly shaped by shifting political priorities and economic policies. Trump's advocacy for higher tariffs on Chinese imports, as well as trade barriers against European and Latin American partners, reflects a broader trend of deglobalization and reshoring efforts seen across multiple economies.
As the world enters a new era of trade tensions and strategic recalibrations, examining the historical and contemporary dimensions of tariffs, economic partnerships, and trade policy will be essential to understanding the future of global commerce. The selected articles from the scientific quarterly “Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs” provide a valuable framework for analyzing these critical developments: https://journalse.com/project/tariffs-and-trade-policy-in-a-shifting-global-landscape/