The European Political Community: a first step towards a true geopolitical Europe?

New crises that have erupted this decade, such as COVID-19 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have led the European Union (EU) to wake up to the need to expedite certain decision-making processes. This would allow it to play a more geopolitical role on the international stage and move past the traditional European approach of soft power as a means of influence. To do so, it is essential to advance towards greater geopolitical capabilities that enable true strategic autonomy in areas such as security and defence: new challenges must be met with different strategies and instruments. This paper examines the functioning, potential institutionalisation and capacities of the European Political Community (EPC) as a driver of a geopolitical Europe.