What Is the European Idea of Power in an Age of Chaos? How Europe can build alliances and defend its interests when the rules no longer hold

What happens when powers no longer agree on the rules, or even on what international order should look like? In his new book, Surviving Chaos: Geopolitics When the Rules Fail, Mark Leonard calls this condition “Un-Order”. He distinguishes between “architects”, who seek to build a stable system, and “artisans”, who adapt to changing circumstances.

In his account, China has embraced the artisan’s approach, while Europe remains attached to the certainties of the architects.

Can Europe develop its own idea of power in an age of chaos? Mark Leonard and Nathalie Tocci will discuss what Europeans can learn from competing approaches to power, how they can navigate shifting alliances and economic interdependence, and which principles should guide their choices. Can the EU become more adaptable while preserving the rules and commitments on which its influence depends?

The discussion will also consider CORE, the Compact for Open and Resilient Economies, a proposal for closer cooperation among like-minded economies set out in an IEP Bocconi policy brief co-authored by Nathalie Tocci and Daniel Gros.

Speakers

Mark Leonard Co-founder and Director, European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR); author of Surviving Chaos: Geopolitics When the Rules Fail.

Nathalie Tocci Senior Fellow, IEP Bocconi; co-author, with Daniel Gros, of the policy brief Europe as Central Power, which sets out the CORE proposal.

Moderator
Stefano Feltri Communication Advisor, IEP Bocconi