Loukas Tsoukalis was born in Athens. He studied economics and international relations at the University of Manchester, the College of Europe in Bruges, and the University of Oxford where he obtained his doctoral degree. He taught for many years at Oxford University and later became Professor at the European Institute of the London School of Economics and Political Science as the first holder of the Eleftherios Venizelos Chair. He has taught in several universities in Europe and the United States. Emeritus Professor at the University of Athens and Visiting Professor at Harvard University in 2016. He has advised the former President of the European Commission and the former President of the European Council.

He is presently President of the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) and teaches at the Paris School of International Affairs (Sciences Po) and the College of Europe in Bruges.

His latest book In Defence of Europe: Can the European Project Be Saved? was published in 2016 by Oxford University Press. The Greek edition has been published by Papadopoulos Press. 

Commander of the Order of the Phoenix of the Hellenic Republic and Chevalier de l’Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur of the French Republic for his contribution to European integration, he has also received several academic distinctions and awards.