Troubled waters for the international order? Redefining alliances.

In a contested and crisis-ridden world, alliances are becoming the defining factor in political relations, particularly in international cooperation. Existing alliances and agreements come under pressure when key players, even founding members, hint at withdrawing or reallocating their commitments. Old conflicts flare up and differing visions of the future clash when weaknesses and gaps in written and unwritten rules become apparent, and debates on reform backlog are blocking immediate action.

Both these dynamics are visible in the case of NATO and EU, and to add to that, in the shadow of strained transatlantic relations. Are the USA and Europe still partners, and if so – to which extent?

As long-standing coalitions falter, all parties are reaching out for new partners and seeking strategic independence. The Mercosur agreement, which recently came into force, as well as the agreements between the EU and India, and the EU and Australia, could shift balances of power on the international trade stage.

Pursuing a more holistic approach, the impact of growing international isolationism and interventionism on the design and form of welfare states and respect for civil and human rights must also be considered. How are resources allocated in times of scarcity, mistrust and unilateral geopolitical action, and who decides how they are distributed? How can dependencies in the energy and digital sectors be reduced? And amid all this, for what kind of alliances are the various parties advocating? Who is considered to be a suitable partner, and why?

This year’s 9 th edition of the European Student Think Tank’s peer-reviewed journal is therefore seeking innovative contributions addressing these debates across the spectrum of isolationism, interventionism, multilateralism and internationalism, to explore how alliances are redefined in today’s often troubled waters. 

Submission Criteria

The European Policy Review is a review published annually and available at the British National Library.

Only papers that follow the EST guidelines (see below) will be considered. 

  • Submissions are welcomed only in the English Language. Please use British English spelling throughout.
  • Papers must be submitted as a Word document (.docx) through the following form (link) and not later than the deadline indicated below.
  • All papers must follow the APA 7 reference style (link) and use author-date in in-text citations.
  • Both research papers and policy briefs are accepted and need to follow academic standards:
  • Research papers should present the following structure: Abstract, Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Analysis, Conclusion
  • Policy Briefs should present the following structure: Executive summary, Introduction, Problem Description & Theoretical Background, Policy Options & Recommendations (based on methods, data, or evidence), Conclusion
  • All contributions must include an abstract/executive summary of 150-200 words, as well as keywords (max 7).
  • All articles should be between 3,500 and 5,000 words in length (excluding references and abstract).

Author’s eligibility criteria

All contributions coming from students, graduates, and young professionals are welcomed with a solid background in European/foreign politics, International Relations, Geopolitics, Economics, International Law, etc.

European citizenship and/or residency is NOT REQUIRED. We welcome applications from around the world.

Deadline

The deadline for submissions is set on 14 th July 2026, at 11.59 PM (CEST). In any extension of such might occur, the EST will promptly communicate the change. Application form: link

In case of questions, please contact Kristina Welsch, Deputy Editor-in-Chief for EPR, via
email (epr@esthinktank.com)