Institutional constraints and reform: European Union’s responses to the Ukraine conflict challenges

Abstract

To fill the gap in the previous studies, the study aims to examine the institutional constraints and reform of the EU in response to the Ukraine conflict. Employing a combination of institutional economics approaches with geopolitical perspectives, the study finds that the EU should prioritize strengthening its institutional resilience and enhancing strategic autonomy to safeguard its interests and take a proactive role in shaping the global order. Aligning diverse policy interest groups with the common security and foreign policy of the EU can foster greater cohesion in foreign and security affairs. Furthermore, the study also uses a mathematical-logical framework to address institutional reform in response to external shocks, considering several factors such as institutional entrepreneurship, transaction costs, path dependence, and more coherent policy interests of member states for its adaptive efficiency. The institutional reform needs to address some institutional constraints of the EU, such as limited military capabilities, diverse policy interest groups, energy dependence on Russia, and geopolitical factors such as the global rivalry between the USA and China.