Strategic Autonomy

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

The capacity of a state or group of states to make and implement foreign, security, and economic policy decisions independently, without being constrained by dependence on or pressure from external powers

History and origin

Term prominently used by France and the EU in debates about European strategic independence from the United States and technological dependence on China

Examples

• France has long championed European strategic autonomy as an alternative to reliance on US security guarantees.
• Strategic autonomy in semiconductors requires domestic manufacturing capacity and supply chain independence.

Synonyms: strategic independence, defence sovereignty, self-reliance (foreign policy)