What kind of hegemony? The European Union in its region

Despite many crises the European Union has sustained deep geoeconomic power throughout Europe. This consensual, flexible and structural form of power is best understood as hegemonic in nature. The mix of supranationalism with enduring intergovernmentalism has forged a unique form of ‘regional hegemony’ that can be understood in Neo-Gramscian terms but differs from critical understandings of ‘neoliberal hegemony’. The challenge of Brexit inspired the latent power structures of the EU to the surface. The memoirs of EU leaders over this period offer insights into the justification of, and operation, of EU hegemony. The EU-27 controlled the Brexit process throughout, imposing its will substantially. Although it made a significant break, the UK was unable to extricate itself entirely from the EU system. The process reinforced the hegemonic tendencies of the EU. To appreciate the likely impact of geopolitical changes we must understand the durability and depth of its power.