The ECPS Academy Summer School 2026 brought together leading scholars to examine how geoeconomics, populism, technological competition, and strategic rivalry are transforming the European Union’s place in the international order. Spanning nine lectures, the programme explored the evolution of EU trade policy, the crisis of multilateralism, transatlantic relations, strategic autonomy, de-risking, the Indo-Pacific, EU–Asia relations, Japan’s emerging populism, and the Union’s capacity to exercise global leadership through law, regulation, and market power. Combining insights from international political economy, European integration, international law, comparative politics, and strategic studies, the lectures demonstrated that Europe’s future will depend upon its ability to reconcile economic openness, democratic resilience, and strategic responsibility amid an increasingly fragmented and contested geopolitical landscape.
Reported by ECPS Staff
The ECPS Academy Summer School 2026, held online from July 6–10, 2026, brought together an international community of scholars, policymakers, and students under the theme "Europe Between Oceans: The EU in the Age of Geoeconomics, Populism, and Strategic Competition." Against a backdrop of intensifying great-power rivalry, democratic polarization, technological transformation, and the growing politicization of international economic relations, the programme explored how Europe is redefining its role within an increasingly fragmented global order. Throughout five days of intellectually rich discussions, participants examined the profound ways in which geopolitics, trade, security, law, technology, and domestic politics have become inseparably intertwined, challenging many of the assumptions that shaped the post-Cold War international system.
The nine lectures presented during the Summer School approached these transformations from complementary disciplinary and regional perspectives. Together, they examined the evolution of European Union trade policy, the crisis of multilateralism, the changing political economy of transatlantic relations, the rise of geoeconomics, strategic autonomy, de-risking, Europe’s engagement with the Indo-Pacific, the implications of US–China strategic competition, the resilience of EU–Japan relations, and the European Union’s capacity to exercise global leadership through law, regulation, and market power. Rather than treating these issues as isolated policy domains, the programme consistently demonstrated how contemporary international politics is increasingly shaped by the interaction of domestic political developments, populist mobilization, technological innovation, economic security, and geopolitical competition.
A recurring theme throughout the Summer School was the recognition that Europe now operates in a world where economic interdependence has become both a source of prosperity and an instrument of strategic rivalry. As globalization gives way to geoeconomics, and as trade, investment, technology, and supply chains become matters of national security, the European Union faces the complex challenge of preserving openness while strengthening resilience, maintaining multilateral cooperation while pursuing strategic autonomy, and defending liberal democratic values amid intensifying geopolitical contestation.
The reports collected in this volume seek to capture not only the substance of each lecture but also the broader intellectual dialogue that emerged across the programme. The reports synthesize the lecturers’ principal arguments while situating them within wider scholarly debates in international political economy, European integration, comparative politics, international law, and strategic studies. Read together, these reports provide a comprehensive account of one of the central questions confronting Europe today: how can the European Union reconcile economic openness, democratic legitimacy, and strategic responsibility in an international order increasingly defined by uncertainty, power competition, and global transformation?
Lecture – I- Prof. Arlo Poletti: The Evolution of EU Trade Policy and the Global Trade Order
How has the European Union’s trade policy evolved from championing liberal multilateralism to pursuing strategic autonomy in an era of geopolitical rivalry? In his opening lecture at the ECPS Academy Summer School 2026, “Europe Between Oceans: The EU in the Age of Geoeconomics, Populism, and Strategic Competition,” Professor Arlo Poletti examines the historical transformation of EU trade policy against the backdrop of globalization, China’s rise, populist contestation, and the growing weaponization of economic interdependence. Moderated by Dr. Sonali Chowdhry, the session demonstrates that contemporary trade policy can no longer be understood solely through the lens of market liberalization but must increasingly be viewed as an instrument of geopolitical strategy, economic resilience, industrial policy, and European strategic autonomy.
Lecture – II – Prof. Kent Jones: Populism, Legitimacy, and the Politicization of Trade
As international trade becomes increasingly entangled with geopolitical rivalry, democratic legitimacy, and populist politics, understanding the future of the rules-based trading order has never been more urgent. In his lecture at the ECPS Academy Summer School 2026, “Europe Between Oceans: The EU in the Age of Geoeconomics, Populism, and Strategic Competition,” Professor Kent Jones examines how the resurgence of populism—particularly under Donald Trump’s second presidency—is reshaping the World Trade Organization (WTO) and challenging the legitimacy of multilateral trade governance. Moderated by Dr. Neo Sithole, the session combines international economics, institutional theory, and political economy to explore why the future of global trade depends not only on markets and tariffs but also on trust, shared norms, and the political foundations of international cooperation.
Lectute – III – Prof. Erik Jones: The Political Economy of EU–US Trade Relations
What happens when the political foundations of the transatlantic partnership begin to erode? In his lecture at the ECPS Academy Summer School 2026, “Europe Between Oceans: The EU in the Age of Geoeconomics, Populism, and Strategic Competition,” Professor Erik Jones argues that Europe is entering a “post-Atlantic” era in which the assumptions that sustained EU–US cooperation since the Second World War are being fundamentally reconfigured. Moderated by Professor Elaine Fahey, the session examines how globalization, democratic polarization, populism, and geopolitical rivalry are reshaping transatlantic trade relations, European strategic autonomy, and the liberal international order. Combining historical perspective with political economy, the lecture offers a compelling framework for understanding Europe’s changing role in an increasingly fragmented world.
Lectute – IV – Prof. Alasdair Young: Populism Trumped Transatlantic Trade Cooperation
Can the transatlantic trading order survive the rise of populism? In his lecture at the ECPS Academy Summer School 2026, “Europe Between Oceans: The EU in the Age of Geoeconomics, Populism, and Strategic Competition,” Professor Alasdair Young argues that Donald Trump’s second presidency marks a fundamental break with more than seventy years of EU–US trade cooperation. Moderated by Dr. Jessica Lawrence, the session explores how populist narratives, protectionism, geopolitical rivalry, and legal innovation are transforming the politics of international trade. Combining historical perspective with international political economy and trade law, Professor Young demonstrates that the future of transatlantic relations will depend not only on commercial negotiations but also on reconciling economic openness with democratic legitimacy, strategic autonomy, and global stability.
Lecture – V – Assoc. Prof. Reuben Wong: Strategic Autonomy, De-risking, and EU Economic Security Tools
The European Union’s pursuit of strategic autonomy has emerged as one of the defining geopolitical debates of the twenty-first century, reflecting the growing convergence of security, economics, technology, and global power competition. In this intellectually stimulating lecture, Associate Professor Reuben Wong examined how Europe’s search for greater strategic independence has been reshaped by an increasingly volatile international environment marked by intensifying US–China rivalry, Russia’s revisionism, and rapid technological transformation. Challenging conventional assumptions about Europe’s transatlantic relationship and its approach toward China, he argued that strategic autonomy requires not only stronger defense and economic security instruments but also a fundamental reassessment of Europe’s place within an emerging multipolar order. The lecture offered participants a provocative and nuanced framework for understanding the future of European geopolitics.
Lecture – VI – Dr. Giulio Pugliese: The EU’s Policy Towards Asia Amidst Changing US–China Security and Trade Dynamics
As Europe deepens its engagement with the Indo-Pacific, the region has become far more than a distant theatre of economic opportunity—it has emerged as a central arena where geopolitical competition, technological innovation, supply-chain resilience, and strategic autonomy intersect. In this insightful lecture, Dr. Giulio Pugliese demonstrated how the Indo-Pacific evolved from a Japanese strategic narrative into a defining framework for understanding twenty-first-century international politics. Examining the growing rivalry between the United States and China, Taiwan’s geopolitical and technological significance, and the implications of Washington’s increasingly transactional alliance strategy, he argued that Europe must move beyond traditional regional perspectives and formulate a coherent Indo-Pacific policy rooted in its own interests. The lecture offered participants a nuanced understanding of how Europe’s future security and prosperity are becoming increasingly intertwined with developments across Asia.
Lecture – VIII – Prof. Axel Berkofsky: EU-Japan Relations and Populism
Japan has long been regarded as an outlier in comparative studies of populism, distinguished by political stability, Liberal Democratic Party dominance, and limited immigration. In this thought-provoking lecture, Professor Axel Berkofsky challenged that conventional wisdom, arguing that Japan has entered its own delayed populist moment. Examining the rise of the Sanseito party, demographic decline, labor shortages, identity politics, and the evolution of conservative nationalism, he demonstrated how structural economic pressures and political discourse are reshaping Japanese democracy. The lecture also assessed the resilience of EU–Japan relations, highlighting the enduring importance of the Economic Partnership Agreement despite growing geopolitical uncertainty. Combining comparative politics with international political economy, Professor Berkofsky offered a nuanced framework for understanding populism beyond its traditional European context.
Lecture – IX – Prof. Markus Kotzur: Can the EU lead? Policy Tools, Regulatory Power, and Global Influence
Professor Markus Kotzur’s lecture explored one of the defining questions of contemporary European integration: can the European Union translate its regulatory influence into genuine geopolitical leadership? Rejecting conventional measures of power centered solely on military capability, he argued that the EU’s comparative advantage lies in its constitutional foundations, legal authority, and capacity to shape global norms through regulatory governance. Examining concepts such as Normative Power Europe, the Brussels Effect, and strategic autonomy, the lecture demonstrated how Europe’s economic strength, legal order, and institutional resilience remain essential assets amid intensifying geopolitical competition. Combining European constitutional law with international relations and political economy, Professor Kotzur offered a compelling vision of an EU capable of reconciling values with strategic responsibility in a fragmented international order.
