The European Union and Upheavals in its Neighborhood: A Force for Stability?

Abstract

This article explores the EU’s action in the context of revolutionary upheavals in its neighborhood, focusing on two cases where the EU’s overall influence is relatively strong: Moldova in 2009 and Tunisia in 2010–2011. It analyzes the intertwining of the normative and strategic agendas by examining the goals, instruments and impact of EU action in each case. The findings highlight a limited and reactive role of the EU, a strong emphasis on stability and a shift towards a more normative engagement in response to external changes that made it easier to merge security- and value-oriented goals.

Keywords:

• European Union
• neighborhood
• power
• Moldova
• Tunisia

Notes

¹ Full name of the organisational affiliation: General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union, Directorate General for External and Politico-Military Affairs, Unit of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Naturally, the article discloses no sensitive information acquired in that position.

² Interviews, Brussels, April & June 2013; Skype, November 2013.

³ Interviews, Brussels, June 2013; Chisinau, October 2012.

⁴ Interview, Brussels, April 2013.

⁵ Interview, Brussels, April 2013.

⁶ Interviews, Brussels, April & June 2013.

⁷ Interviews, Chisinau, April 2009 and October 2012.

⁸ Interviews Brussels, April 2013; Copenhagen, February 2014.

⁹ Interview transcript: Traian Basescu, president of Romania, Financial Times, December 13, 2010. Retrieved from http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/2f1b77e8-06e0-11e0-8c29-00144feabdc0.html#axzz33e7xt9mK.

¹⁰ Annual bilateral assistance almost doubled from 40 million euro in 2007 to 79 million euro in 2011 (information provided by the EU delegation to Moldova, September 2011).

¹¹ Interviews, Brussels, April & June 2013; Chisinau, September 2011 and October 2012.

¹² Tunisia was a French protectorate in 1881–1956.

¹³ Interviews, Tunis, November 2012; Brussels, June 2013; Copenhagen, June 2013.

¹⁴ EU Observer, January 14, 2011.

¹⁵ The advanced status or Privileged Partnership (PP) is a new enhanced agreement between the EU and Tunisia. The agreement focuses on a range of areas that will support Tunisia’s economic and democratic development such as gradual integration into the European internal market, negotiations on liberalising trade in agriculture, conclusion of a mobility partnership (EU Council November 19, 2012).

¹⁶ Interview, Brussels, June 2013.

¹⁷ Interviews, Tunis, November 2012; Brussels, June 2013.

¹⁸ Interviews, Brussels and Copenhagen, June 2013.

¹⁹ Interview, Tunis, November 2012.

²⁰ Interviews, Brussels, June 2013.

²¹ One month after the revolution, the EU allocated €17 million to cover the most urgent needs. In addition, through the Instrument for Stability, the EU allocated at the same time €2 million to help prepare the elections for a Constituent Assembly and to strengthen the capacity of civil society (European Commission March 8, 2011). It also increased the funds available for the bilateral cooperation with Tunisia: the allocation for 2011 was doubled and for the period of 2011–2013 the budget was increased from €240 million to €400 million (European Commission, 2011d)..

²² Interviews, Tunis, November 2012; Brussels, June 2013.

²³ Interviews, Tunis, November 2012; Brussels, June 2013.