Power asymmetries and integration process: challenges ahead for the EAEU

The chapter delves into the issue of power imbalances and integration within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Over the past few years, this issue has been a pivotal point of debates surrounding the EAEU and remains a politically sensitive topic, both in academia and among decision-makers. The chapter takes a comprehensive approach, exploring the issue from political, economic, and juridical perspectives. It argues that a satisfactory answer to the question of power asymmetries and integration in the EAEU cannot be achieved by considering the factors in isolation. Instead, several other crucial elements must be taken into account, such as the institutional framework of the Union, the political nature of member states’ regimes, and their mutual posturing. Given the current period of high uncertainty in the world, the chapter concludes by presenting some possible future scenarios to outline potential developments in the Union and the impact power imbalances may have on its integration.