• Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie Global logoCarnegie lettermark logo
DemocracyIran
  • Donate
Geoliberal Europe
Book
Carnegie Europe

Geoliberal Europe and the Test of War

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has pushed Europe into a new strategic era. But as the conflict persists, European governments and institutions are struggling to move past crisis-driven, short-term policies and design a new European order.

Link Copied
By Richard Youngs
Published on Apr 16, 2024

Additional Links

Paperback - $35.00Hardback - $99.00Kindle - $34.00
Program mobile hero image

Program

Democracy, Conflict, and Governance

The Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program is a leading source of independent policy research, writing, and outreach on global democracy, conflict, and governance. It analyzes and seeks to improve international efforts to reduce democratic backsliding, mitigate conflict and violence, overcome political polarization, promote gender equality, and advance pro-democratic uses of new technologies.

Learn More
Program mobile hero image

Program

Europe

The Europe Program in Washington explores the political and security developments within Europe, transatlantic relations, and Europe’s global role. Working in coordination with Carnegie Europe in Brussels, the program brings together U.S. and European policymakers and experts on strategic issues facing Europe.

Learn More

Source: Agenda Publishing

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has pushed Europe into a new strategic era. The knock-on effects of the war have combined to open a period of reordering across the European continent. European governments and the European Union collectively have begun to fashion policies for this shift, recognizing this to be a pivotal historical moment. Richard Youngs unpacks the different dynamics that have come to characterize European policies in the wake of the war: the nature of EU integration, geopolitical power, defense priorities, European borders, liberal values, the green transition, and economic sovereignty.

The book looks to the future and outlines the issues and choices with which European governments still need to grapple. Youngs develops the notion of geoliberalism as a way of addressing these challenges and guiding European governments and the EU into the fragile order taking shape in the shadow of Ukraine’s war.

Advance Praise

“A must-read for everyone thinking about how Europe can live up to today’s geopolitical challenges while remaining true to its liberal foundations.”
—Anna Lührmann, Minister of State for Europe and Climate, Germany.

“Russia’s unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine required the European Union to rise to the urgency of the moment. Now, the task is to build a new European and global order. Youngs’ book is essential reading for anyone wanting to understand how and why that can be accomplished.”
—Erik Jones, Director, Robert Schuman Centre, European University Institute.

“Youngs poses a very big question, in clear prose: how will Russia’s invasion of Ukraine change Europe? His notion of ‘geoliberalism’ could become crucial in understanding our new era. This is an important book at an existential moment for Europe.”
—Simon Kuper, columnist, Financial Times.

“A major exploration of Europe’s shifting geopolitical landscape, a must-read for anyone hoping to understand the consequences of Putin’s war on Ukraine.”
—Norma Percy and Lotte Murphy-Johnson, producers of Putin vs the West.

About the Author

Richard Youngs

Senior Fellow, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program

Richard Youngs is a senior fellow in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program, based at Carnegie Europe. He works on EU foreign policy and on issues of international democracy.

    Recent Work

  • Paper
    Post-U.S. International Democracy Support: Aspiration in Search of Substance

      Richard Youngs, Thomas Carothers

  • Commentary
    The EU Needs a Third Way in Iran

      Richard Youngs

Richard Youngs
Senior Fellow, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program
Richard Youngs
Eastern EuropeUkraineWestern EuropeEuropeForeign PolicyEUSecurityMilitaryGlobal GovernanceDemocracyPolitical Reform

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

  • Article
    A Kenya Technology Prosperity Deal Could Help Washington Secure Durable AI Partnerships with Africa

    To carry out its global AI agenda, Washington will need strategic relationships with emerging markets in Africa, starting with Kenya.

      Jane Munga

  • Paper
    A Grand Strategy for Europe’s Clean Industrial Future

    Europe’s industrial supply chains leave it vulnerable to global shocks. The EU needs a pragmatic green industrial strategy that balances durable partnerships and bolsters homegrown clean tech without sacrificing low-carbon ambition.

      Milo McBride, Pauline Gerard

  • Commentary
    Strategic Europe
    Europe Needs a Strategy for its Turn to New Defense Tech

    Defense tech innovations will be at the heart of Europe’s new security strategy. But so far, Brussels has been making moves without a broader plan, undermining readiness and credibility.

      Raluca Csernatoni

  • Commentary
    President Lee Jae Myung: A Year in Power

    President Lee marked his first year in office after one of the most tumultuous periods in South Korean politics. Though Lee has enjoyed a high approval rating, a large majority in the National Assembly, and foreign policy victories, Lee and his party’s political fortunes depend on generating economic growth, learning the right lessons from the recent local elections, and managing contentious factional strife within his political base.

      Chung Min Lee

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Multiple Wars Are Ruining Central Asia’s Efforts to Diversify Its Trade Routes

    This year’s wars have made alternative routes to transit through Russia no less risky for Central Asian countries.

      Galiya Ibragimova

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Carnegie global logo, stacked
1779 Massachusetts Avenue NWWashington, DC, 20036-2103Phone: 202 483 7600
  • Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
  • Donate
  • Programs
  • Events
  • Blogs
  • Podcasts
  • Contact
  • Annual Reports
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
  • Government Resources
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.