Introduction

The introduction to The Routledge Handbook on European Union Politics outlines the profound challenges currently faced by the European Union (EU). Externally, the return of great-power competition, Russia's war against Ukraine, and the weakening of multilateral institutions have reshaped the Union's security environment. Internally, democratic backsliding, politicization, and declining trust in supranational institutions undermine its legitimacy and cohesion. Together, these dynamics expose the EU to simultaneous internal and external pressures that transform the foundations of European politics. Against this backdrop, the Handbook deliberately focuses on politics rather than policies. It examines how conflicts over values, authority, and governance now permeate the European project and how the EU's political order adapts to crisis and contestation. The contributions to this volume provide a comprehensive assessment and analysis along four dimensions: (I) the fundamental characteristics of EU politics, (II) the institutional dynamics between integration and autonomy, (III) patterns of participation, contestation, and identity, and (IV) the EU's external relations in a fragile world order. Across all four sections, the central findings of the chapters are systematically summarized according to overarching themes and insights.