Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Europe used to be an agenda-setter at the global and regional level but now it is on the backfoot, facing multiple outside pressures: e.g., from Trump’s US, Russia, and China. Internally, rising populism is undermining EU’s cohesion and international influence. The book traces the consolidation and, starting from the late 2000s, the subsequent crisis of the European regional order anchored in the EU. It argues that authoritarian powers, such as Russia, China, and Turkey are posing a direct challenge to the latter as they seek to remake Europe in their image. At the same time, their objectives differ. The Ukraine invasion put on display Russia’s radical revisionist agenda. China by contrast aims to co-opt, through economic means, a diminished Europe in a future world order that it dominates. Erdogan’s Turkey wants to strike a deal where it is recognised as a top-tier stakeholder in Europe, as opposed to an eternal candidate for EU membership. The book discusses the Europe (EU, its member states, and the UK) response to outside challenges: containment—investing into military power to deter Russia; resilience—strengthening institutions and deepening markets to compete with China (and perhaps the US); and co-optation—relaunching enlargement and engaging with neighbours including Turkey—to build up its defences.</jats:p>