This lecture discusses the international role of the European Union in the 21^st century against the background of the changing reality of domestic, regional and global politics. What is the role of the EU and its member states, now that we have left the ‘mad’ 20^th century behind? Is Europe a continent in decline or has integration within the EU revitalised and imbued it with the potential of being a new global player in a multipolar world without a dominant power? What will be the consequences of a Brexit on EU external action?

The crises in Ukraine and Syria illustrate that it is not an option for the Union to merely sit on the side-lines and are a good example of the high complexity of the challenges that need to be faced.

By putting the EU’s role in a broader regional and international context and by analysing some of the key regional and global responses that have been formulated so far, this lecture discusses how in recent years the EU has been trying to redefine its international role.