Literature review of implications of multipolar competition for crises and conflict

The literature review on multipolar competition will be conducted with a view to investigating the academic interpretations of the reasons underlying the increasingly powerbased approach followed by global and regional actors Attention will be paid to studies emphasising domestic factors political parties or regimes construing national security interests as opposed to those of other countries as well as systemic factors like variations in economic military and technological resources The review will look into both global multipolar competition with a focus on the US China and Russia and regional multipolar competition in Eastern Europe the Middle East across North and subSaharan Africa Southeast Asia and Latin America It will consider the impact ofcompetition on multilateralism the international partners of the EU as well as the evolution of the EUs understanding of its own role as an international actor Special attention will be devoted to studies highlighting the connection between multipolar competition and the inability of the EU and its member states to formulate and implement common action on crises and conflicts