The European Union’s Geoeconomic Transformation: Strategic Adaptation in a Fragmented Global Order

Geopolitical fragmentation, intensifying geoeconomic competition, and the securitisation of economic relations are reshaping the international environment and changing the conditions under which the European Union (EU) conducts its external economic policy. As economic interdependence has become a source of both prosperity and vulnerability, the EU has begun to redefine the relationship between openness, resilience, and economic security. This article examines how these developments are reshaping the EU’s geoeconomic model and its role within an evolving global order. The study develops an analytical framework that links geopolitical pressures, external dependencies, and institutional responses to the Union’s geoeconomic adaptation. The research employs a concept-driven qualitative design combining qualitative content analysis, analytically focused comparison, and process-oriented interpretation of key EU strategic documents and the relevant academic literature. The study shows that the EU is developing a hybrid geoeconomic model that combines openness with resilience, market integration with economic security, and international cooperation with a stronger capacity to manage critical vulnerabilities. This process reflects a longer-term adjustment of the Union’s external economic strategy and its international role. The article advances current debates on geoeconomics, European integration, and global governance by explaining how geopolitical fragmentation is reshaping the EU’s external action in a more contested international environment.