ARTIKEL /ARTICLES The European Union: Protagonist in a Multilateral World Order or Peripheral Power in the»Asia-Pacific« Century? DIRK MESSNER W ith 25 member states, 450 million inhabitants and a contribution to world gdp of 25 percent the European Union belongs among those actors which influence global-governance processes and can help to deal with global problems. The eu articulated its readiness to assume global responsibilities in the European Security Strategy of December 2003. At the same time, European foreign policy is still in the process of develop­ment. A common perspective on central global issues, as well as a defini­tion of pan-European interests which must go beyond the sum of the interests of member states remain to be attained. In what follows, we shall first list a number of fundamentally positive factors to which the eu can appeal when going about the construction of its global-governance capacities. Against these assets, however, we shall set a number of central weak points which the eu must overcome if it is to gain in importance as a global-governance actor. On top of that we shall sketch the consequences for the world order of the rise of China and India. It is clear that the transition from a quasi-unilateral, us -dominated power constellation to a multipolar one can lead to a creeping erosion of multilateral institutions. Neither the»old world power« the usa , nor the rising global powers in Asia are investing in the stabilization or even the further development of the multilateral order. At present the European Union is the most important actor in world politics which is firmly pur­suing a multilateral concept of the world order. The eu could therefore, in the developmental phase of the multipolar power constellation, be­come the central protagonist of an effective and fair multilateralism. However, this will require enormous efforts on Europe’s part because there is nothing resembling a»senior partner« by whose side the eu could stand as»junior partner« in the stabilization and modernization of the multilateral global-governance architecture. The eu must be grown­up about foreign policy and establish alliances for a world order based on compromise, human rights, and cooperation – or it will become a peripheral region in an Asia-Pacific century. ipg 1/2007 Messner, EU as Protagonist of Multilateralism 11