When Multilateralism Meets Multialignment: How Can the EU and India Partner in a Fragmenting Global Order?

Geopolitical fragmentation, economic coercion and intensifying great-power competition have turned the EU-India relationship into a strategic asset for European security. A comprehensive EU-India Free Trade Agreement, combined with structured cooperation on technology, connectivity and defence, would strengthen Europe’s economic security, reduce its strategic dependencies and enhance its capacity to act in the Indo-Pacific. While regulatory divergences and mutual distrust have long constrained cooperation, the current alignment of strategic interests offers an unprecedented window for the EU and India to consolidate a partnership that supports their economic and security objectives.