The Narrative Construction of the European Union in External Relations

Abstract

The article analyses the way narratives are constructed in EU external relations and their relation to policy practices. Five overarching narratives are identified: the EU as a security provider, the EU as a democratizer and spreader of ‘good’ norms, the EU as an actor that contributes to or assures global peace, the EU as an entity that contributes to the well-being of peoples around the world and finally the narrative of EU good neighbourliness. After a brief section that details the links between discourses, narratives and political practice, the article will systematically explore the five narratives. The rationale for this endeavour is based on the often huge discrepancy found between the ambitious goals set out in narratives and the poor policy track of the EU in its external relations. Continuous policy and discursive redefinition and reconsideration provide a dynamic context in which goals are renegotiated when political reality deviates from them. A clear pattern of downgrading ambitions when policy outcomes do not match them can be observed in the EU's external relations.

Keywords:

• European Union
• discourse
• narrative
• external relations
• policy practices

Notes

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During recent years opinion polls have recorded Europeans being in favour of a Europe that is more engaged in global affairs: for example a 2006 Eurobarometre (European Commission, 2007) shows that around 80% of the European citizens support more EU involvement in the global fight against terrorism or the spread of peace and democracy around the world.

Ashton has frequently defined European democracy as the true democracy for it lays the foundations for peace, prosperity and tolerance. For example: EU'S Ashton campaigns for ‘deep democracy. Reuters [online], 13 November 2011. Available at http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/13/us-eu-forpol-libya-idUSTRE7AC0WX20111113 (accessed 10 February 2012).

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Former High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana in: ‘EU: Solana says membership for Caucasus “A different story”’. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty [online], 15 November 2006. Available at http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1072738.html (accessed 10 February 2012).

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