‘Evaluate the view that the EU has become a superpower, comparable with the USA'

• Superpowers 

• Regionalism and the EU 

• Trump turns away from soft power 

• 2025 US National Security Strategy 

• Case study War in Ukraine 

• Case study Funding for Ukraine 

Beyond the UN, the EU does not compare with the USA in terms of rights in other global bodies. The EU lacks voting rights at the IMF or the World Bank, where the USA has an effective veto in both institutions. Overall, despite its increasingly important role in global politics and governance, it is clear that the EU is not comparable to the USA in terms of influence across a range of organisations or for guaranteeing international peace and security and therefore, it should not be classed as a superpower comparable with the USA. 

The strongest argument for the EU being a superpower comparable with the USA is in relation to economics. The USA and the EU make up the two largest economies in the world in terms of GDP and the EU was also classed as the largest economy in the world during the last decade. The EU is the largest trader of manufactured goods and services and is the world’s largest trading bloc. Since the Maastricht Treaty (1993), economic and monetary union has become a key aim of the EU with a single market without tariffs between member states providing certainty and stability. Its unified currency across many different countries shows the economic power it has and the euro is second to the US dollar in the most traded currency list, showing its stability. Furthermore, the EU was able to negotiate with the USA as an equal partner in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). However, despite this power and strength, the 2008 economic crisis meant that Greece as member state suffered terrible economic consequences because it was tied to the euro. In terms of TTIP, the talks were halted when President Trump declared an ‘America First’ strategy, reinforcing the view that the USA did not consider the EU an equal partner. Overall, the EU can be seen as comparable to being a superpower in terms of economic power, yet it is not truly a superpower as member states can still suffer shocks that the US does not and can choose to leave EU institutions, thereby weakening any claim for superpower status comparable with the USA.

The EU has a significant presence on the international stage. While it is not a single state, it is often represented as one entity in organizations like the World Trade Organisation, the G20, the G7, and the COP meetings. Its political influence was clear during negotiations with Iran over the nuclear issue, where it played a key role in persuading Iran to halt uranium enrichment in exchange for lifting sanctions. Since the U.S. reinstated sanctions, the EU has maintained a distinct stance, choosing not to impose its own. Another example of the EU acting as a unified political force is its role in the Quartet—alongside the UN, USA, and Russia—which works to mediate the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The EU is also the largest donor of foreign aid to Palestine. Additionally, it has enforced a collective arms embargo on China since 1989, following the Tiananmen Square massacre of pro-democracy student protesters.

 A key trait of a superpower is the ability to have a coherent foreign policy backed up with military might and effective uses of hard and soft power. In the case of the EU, it has used soft power to achieve a number of objectives in terms of foreign policy as part of the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy. For example, tough sanctions against Iran led to limits on its nuclear programme. The EU has also played a key role in training security forces in Mali in 2014, building capacity for further reforms. However, despite the appearance of a unified policy on security and the use of soft power, military forces are under the control of member states and each country can maintain its own foreign policy beyond the EU.

Proposals for a unified EU army have yet to materialize, mainly due to valid concerns from major states about surrendering a key aspect of their sovereignty. While EU battlegroups are a step toward joint operational capacity, full integration is hindered by language barriers, differences in technical capabilities, and variations in weaponry and ammunition among member states. Compared to the United States, the EU has struggled to project its military power and is not represented as a single legal entity at the UN. Support for Ukraine has highlighted the EU’s challenges in presenting a unified front, with countries like Hungary and Slovakia often siding with Russia. Efforts to use seized Russian assets as reparations for Ukraine have been consistently blocked by nations such as Belgium, fearing future implications, along with Hungary and Slovakia. Immigration policies also vary widely, with Italy and Greece taking a harder stance compared to countries like Germany and France. Cultural divides persist, particularly with Eastern European nations like Hungary, as well as political parties in Poland, eastern Germany, and Austria’s far-right, resisting the EU’s liberal cultural values.

 The EU’s soft power doesn’t always lead to greater democracy or respect for human rights abroad. Turkey’s bid to join the EU in the early 2000s didn’t bring about more democracy there; instead, President Erdogan and the AKP party have moved away from liberal reforms and democratic projects, embracing deeper conservatism and placing more restrictions on free speech and press freedom. Similarly, the EU’s economic ties with Russia, especially through buying oil and gas, failed to create a more cooperative relationship or curb Russia’s aggressive actions toward its neighbours and its efforts to restore the USSR’s sphere of influence.

This is clearly illustrated in the Russian invasion of Ukraine as EU member states were fragmented in their approach. France urged member states to ‘conduct their own dialogue’ with Russia, Germany sought to block the export of weapons to Ukraine from Estonia and was initially reluctant to supply defensive weaponry, undermining a coordinated EU approach. The USA was able to agree assistance quickly, including Howitzer artillery with around $3 billion of funding provided since the invasion as well as firm sanctions. The EU response is still being formulated and made even more complicated by NATO, a non-EU body, the primary coordinating military organisation in Europe is led by the USA. This indicates that, despite the successes of the EU, it lacks the same level of foreign policy cohesion, hard power, and soft power as a superpower when confronted with an international crisis, and as such, it cannot be considered a superpower comparable to the USA.

However, EU states have some of the world’s most technologically advanced militaries, deployed in various conflicts like Libya, Iraq, Yugoslavia, and Afghanistan. The EU has taken part in collective military actions through the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), notably in peacekeeping missions in North Africa, combating piracy off Somalia, and providing €11 billion in lethal aid to Ukraine. France maintains its own independent nuclear arsenal, while the USA has nuclear missiles stationed in countries such as Germany and the UK. Nations like Germany and France have significantly increased military spending and are rearming at a rapid pace. Following Donald Trump’s strategic review, there are concerns that U.S. support for the EU could be in doubt.

 The EU is a significant economic power. It contains many of the world's most prominent and advanced economies, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Belgium and the Netherlands. Combined, its economy would be larger than China's and only slightly behind the USA's,  with a gross domestic product of over $18 trillion. The size of the EU's market means that it has enabled it to conclude Free trade deals with other large economies, such as Canada in 2016 and Japan in 2019.

The the EU is the. The EU is the largest exporter in the world. the EU is also the world's largest single provider of foreign aid and in2021 launched the €300 billion Global Gateway programme to boost infrastructure development in the Global SouthAnd as a diplomatic and economic counterweight to China's Belt and Rd initiative Its role as a provider of foreign aid has also become more significant Since the Trump administration has reduced the impact of American foreign aid.

The EU wields considerable soft power as a liberal democratic body, encouraging other states—like post-Yugoslav Croatia—to adapt their policies for admission. Agreements such as the Cotonou Agreement with 78 states and the Samoa Agreement with 44 states extend the EU’s influence across African, Caribbean, and Pacific nations. Education is another powerful tool, with over a quarter of the world’s top 100 universities based in Europe. The EU hosts twice as many international students as the U.S. and more than ten times as many as China, thanks in part to programs like Erasmus, which allow students worldwide to study in Europe. Beyond that, EU countries hold immense cultural sway through their food, art, music, and sports, with European sports enjoying far greater global appeal than those from the United States.

 In conclusion, the EU holds considerable global power in many areas, particularly in the economic sphere. However, calling it a superpower now feels premature, as it lacks influence in key bodies like the UNSC, doesn’t match the economic strength or cohesion of the USA, and fails to speak with one voice on foreign policy or military action. While it’s undeniably powerful and could become a superpower in the future with greater political unity, it isn’t a unified state—a crucial aspect of true superpower status. For now, it’s better seen as an emerging superpower rather than one on par with the USA.