Security, oower and European strategic autonomy in a transforming global order

This article examines the evolving relationship between politics and security in an era characterised by increasing power rivalry, multipolar competition, and strategic uncertainty.The author argues that contemporary security dynamics can no longer be understood within traditional state-centric or purely military frameworks, as power is increasingly exercised through economic interconnectedness, technological control, regulatory influence, and informational superiority.It employs an interdisciplinary approach, drawing from security studies, international relations, and political theory, to analyse how globalisation has transformed security into a competitive and perpetually contested domain.Particular attention is paid to the European Union, which currently faces the dual challenge of heightened external vulnerability and internal pressure to preserve its normative identity.In this context, the author examines the concept of European strategic autonomy as a response to weaponised interdependence and hybrid forms of power, critically assessing its limits and contradictions.Through the reconceptualisation of power, authority, and competition, the article contributes to ongoing theoretical discourse on European security and offers a nuanced framework for understanding security governance in a transforming global order.