EU statecraft in the age of permacrisis: Investing on new uses of soft power and public diplomacy

The pandemic crisis and the Russo-Ukrainian war have demonstrated that the European Union (EU) is extremely vulnerable. It is important to recognize this, because only in this way will the EU be able to discuss and implement policies aimed at increasing the resilience of European integration. However, despite the elaboration of the Recovery and Resilience Plan in 2020, and the EU’s unexpected and prompt reaction to Putin's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Union’s orientation remains unclear. In fact, we have entered a period that will see the emergence of many issues that will require difficult decisions and decisive action from the European Union. Should “soft power” be abandoned? Is it time for “hard power”?