My first book, Making EU Foreign Policy Go Round, The Significance of Informality for the Survival of Multilateralism, is forthcoming with Bristol University Press (out on 11 June 2026 in the UK and 7 July 2026 in the US). You can preorder it here: https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/making-eu-foreign-policy-go-round.

The book provides fresh insight into multilateral diplomacy, revealing how informal cooperation—not just formal mechanisms —drives EU foreign policy success. Drawing on interviews with diplomats and analysis of critical cases, including sanctions against Russia and Ukraine response coordination, this groundbreaking study exposes the essential role of behind-the-scenes negotiations and informal coalitions.

From defence cooperation mechanisms like Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) to the naval Operation Irini, the book demonstrates how informality compensates for institutional rigidity, enabling swift decision-making in crisis situations. It directly speaks to international relations scholars, diplomats and policymakers seeking to understand how global governance functions in practice.

What others think of the book:

Marianna Lovato’s Making EU Foreign Policy Go Round takes a close look at how informality underpins foreign policymaking in Europe, despite decades of EU institutionalisation. Amidst growing geopolitical instability and rising pressure on global multilateralism, Lovato argues that informal coordination allows diplomats and negotiators to move quickly, circumvent bureaucratic rigidities, manage sensitive or urgent issues and sustain effective cooperation when formal mechanisms stall or fail. Lovato makes a strong case for old fashioned diplomacy in arguing that informality is not a sign of institutional weakness but an essential tool that helps Europe respond more effectively to crises. This is a great book for anyone who wants to understand why traditional diplomacy matters more than ever in an age of geopolitical and geoeconomic contestation, populist politics and fracturing multilateralism – Nathaniel Copsey, British Ambassador to Bulgaria.