Episode 122: Why Europe’s Neighbours Are the EU’s Real Geopolitical Test? with Tengiz Pkhaladze

In this episode, Fredrik Erixon speaks with Tengiz Pkhaladze , Senior Fellow and Director of ECIPE’s Bridging Frontlines programme, about how the EU’s neighbouring regions have become the space where the Union’s geopolitical credibility is being tested in real time. They argue that Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, the Western Balkans, and the Black Sea region should be understood as one strategic frontier rather than as separate policy files. This is where questions of sovereignty, security, and geopolitical alignment are playing out most acutely. Pkhaladze, author of the recent paper Europe's Frontier Countries: The EU's Geopolitical Test , highlights three structural weaknesses: fragmented policy tools, slow decision making, and unresolved conflict dynamics. While the EU has made progress through sharper strategic thinking, renewed enlargement momentum, and stronger defence initiatives, ambition still exceeds delivery. Until that gap is closed, others will continue to take advantage of it. You can watch a video recording of this conversation here . You can read a transcript here .

You can listen to Episode 122: Why Europe’s Neighbours Are the EU’s Real Geopolitical Test? with Tengiz Pkhaladze online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Episode 122: Why Europe’s Neighbours Are the EU’s Real Geopolitical Test? with Tengiz Pkhaladze is an episode from Global Economy Podcast by ECIPE.

This episode is 00:37:00 long.

This episode was published on Apr 22, 2026.

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