Global Britain is already established as the post-Brexit British foreign policy. Developed by the governments of May and Johnson, it is still being implemented by Sunak’s Government. I argue that Global Britain focuses primarily on economic and trade engagement to maintain the country’s status in the international community while managing the domestic crisis.

This paper explores how economic interests have influenced foreign policy decision-making after the referendum. The focus is on the country’s economic positioning through the intersection of trade policies as foreign policy instruments, I look primarily to the Indo-Pacific region.

Building on the literature of ideas on foreign policy and role theory, this research contributes to fulfilling the gap concerning the influence of the domestic economic setting on post-Brexit foreign policymaking.

The paper intends to trace the economic influences of the Global Britain strategy which constitute the post-Brexit British foreign policy. The period between the post-World War and 2023 is examined, developing a content analysis of foreign policy documents, government speeches and parliamentary interventions. We claim that the economy was the main interest being considered in the debate on the future of the United Kingdom’s role in the world after leaving the European Union. It is also argued that the post-Brexit Global Britain foreign policy was deeply shaped by the national economic interests and by the international economy positioning strategy.

This research analyses the imposition of economic sanctions on Russia by the European Union, focusing on their effectiveness in achieving the stated political and economic objectives. A key aspect of this study is to explore the interaction between the actual results of these policies and the perception of the European public. The research uses the Eurobarometer survey to shed light on the position of the EU population on sanctions, providing insights into their impact and effectiveness.

The study uses responses to Eurobarometer surveys from April 2022 to December 2023 to understand public opinion on EU actions against Russia. In this regard, statistical analyses have been carried out to observe the level of public support for economic sanctions among EU citizens.

This paper enriches the academic debate about the effectiveness of economic sanctions in international relations. Through this study, I try to highlight the importance of public support in the success of economic sanctions.

The findings point to substantial support among EU citizens for sanctions against Russia. However, this support coexists with fears of economic side effects such as rising inflation and the cost of living. These perspectives underline the multifaceted outcomes of international policy decisions, underlining the need for comprehensive approaches in policy development and evaluation. This study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the role and effectiveness of economic sanctions in international relations.

From the mid-2010s, strategic autonomy appeared in the political and economic narrative of several EU policies. EU industrial policy is also linked to the capacity of the EU to improve its competitiveness, invest in human capital, and R&D, and address market failures. On the other hand, EU State aid rules have often been perceived as too stringent on Member States' competence to support national industries. The changing geopolitical and economic environment and later the COVID-19 triggered a more assertive EU to defend its market against third-country competitors and to tackle the vulnerability of sectors dependent on supply chains. Consequentially, the implementation of projects of common European interest has been accelerated.

The paper investigates 107(3) TFEU as a broad mandate to contribute to the strategic autonomy of the EU, which will reveal that the category of important projects of common European interest (IPCEI) is a tool to authorise pan-European R&D and industrial projects. These projects were steered by the Commission and the Member States together to achieve EU objectives, as set out in various EU policy documents (e.g. European Green Deal).

Desk research has been applied by analysing the relevant policy documents and Commission decisions to conduct our research. IPCEI, as a broad undefined TFEU exception, is, in our view, apt to accommodate diverse EU policy goals.