The European union and the united states in a superpower context

Abstract

The academic superpower paradigm provides important insights into the nature of international power in the post‐Cold War world. The failure of European Union member states to create an effective military power‐projection capability within the EU, or to develop a clear ideological rationale for such projection, ensures that the EU remains in the shadow of the United States in the international security arena. Underlying the difficulties is an unresolved conceptual and ideological debate about whether the EU should develop greater superpower characteristics of its own, or else seek to offer a clearer ‘civilian power’ alternative to traditional superpowers.