As a multinational organization, the European Union (EU) faces a set of threats that test the ability of its political leadership to ensure the peace and prosperity of the bloc. In this sense, the objective of this research was to analyze the effect of political leadership on civil protection and public administration in EU countries, to answer the question: How do trade tariffs and military threats affect the security and unity of Europe in the face of the New World Order? To achieve this objective, the study examined the evolution of European trade and defence policies in a context of increasing geopolitical competition, where the EU's international identity is constantly being redefined. Methodologically, the research was descriptive, analytical and documentary. By way of conclusion, all indications are that trade tariffs and military threats affect European security and unity by exacerbating internal divisions and contradictions and exposing critical dependencies. However, they also offer an opportunity to redefine priorities, as shown by the progress in common defence policies following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.