Strategic autonomy describes the ability of a country or regional bloc to make independent decisions on matters of defence, foreign policy, technology, and economic security, and to possess the industrial, financial, and military means to act on those decisions. The concept does not require isolation or self-sufficiency; it requires that critical dependencies on outside actors cannot be weaponised to constrain a state's choices.
The term is most closely associated with the European Union. It entered EU vocabulary through defence policy debates in the 1990s and was formalised in the 2016 EU Global Strategy presented by High Representative Federica Mogherini, which called for "an appropriate level of strategic autonomy" in security and defence. Under the von der Leyen Commission and the French presidency of the Council in 2022, the concept broadened into "open strategic autonomy," covering semiconductors, critical raw materials, energy, pharmaceuticals, and digital infrastructure. Instruments include the European Defence Fund, PESCO (launched 2017), the European Chips Act (2023), and the Critical Raw Materials Act (2024).
Outside Europe, the idea has deep roots in India's non-alignment tradition and is invoked by successive governments to justify simultaneous partnerships with the United States, Russia, and members of the Quad and BRICS. China frames similar goals through "self-reliance" (自力更生) and the dual circulation strategy. France, under Presidents Mitterrand, Chirac, and Macron, has long championed autonomie stratégique as a national doctrine distinct from Atlanticism.
Critics argue the term is ambiguous and can mask either protectionism or a desire to decouple from the United States. Central and Eastern European member states, particularly after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, have warned that EU strategic autonomy must not weaken NATO or transatlantic deterrence. Proponents counter that overdependence — on Russian gas, Taiwanese chips, or Chinese rare earths — is itself a strategic vulnerability that recent crises have exposed.
Example
In its 2022 Versailles Declaration, the European Council committed to "reduce strategic dependencies" in energy, raw materials, and semiconductors, framing the response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a push toward strategic autonomy.
Frequently asked questions
No. Protectionism shields domestic industries from competition, while strategic autonomy targets specific dependencies — such as critical minerals or defence capabilities — that could be exploited for coercion. The EU's framing of 'open' strategic autonomy explicitly preserves trade openness.
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