ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the European Union’s foreign and security policy (EUFSP) challenges in managing international crises and conflicts, focusing on three primary constraints: multipolar competition, regional fragmentation and intra-EU contestation. It examines how the interplay of these factors undermines the EU’s ability to act cohesively in complex conflicts, such as those in Venezuela, Libya, Syria and Ethiopia. The chapter details how regional fragmentation and competing external powers exacerbate EU divisions and limit its effectiveness in conflict management. Examples such as Kosovo-Serbia, Venezuela’s leadership crisis and EU divisions over the Israel-Palestine conflict highlight these internal challenges. Additionally, the EU’s struggle to generate shared knowledge about conflicts like Ethiopia illustrates the impact of biased information sources. The chapter concludes that EUFSP’s success hinges on its ability to navigate these exogenous constraints and adapt to the volatile context of contemporary International Relations.
