The Eurasian Economic Union: a case of reproductive integration?

Abstract

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) appeared in January 2015 as the latest and most ambitious attempt at reconnecting the post-Soviet space. Building on the Customs Union between Belarus, Russia, and Kazakhstan (2010), and successfully extending membership to Armenia and Kyrgyzstan (2015), the EAEU not only connects a market of over 182 million people, but has the stated aim of utilizing European Union experience to achieve deep integration in a fraction of the time. Based on original fieldwork conducted in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia, this article examines the kind of integration project currently under construction, as well as the EAEU’s ability to make a significant impact in the region. As argued, despite early achievements, the EAEU is very much limited to reproducing sovereignty rather than transforming it, marking a clear disconnect between rhetoric and reality. Moreover, when viewed from the perspective of the three “I”s – institutions, identity, and international context – even this modest reality faces significant barriers.

Keywords:

• Eurasian
• economic
• Russia
• integration
• sovereignty

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. A full list of interviewees is provided in Appendix 1. However, for the purposes of protecting the identity of individuals, all direct quotes are anonymous, with just the country, or in the case of the Eurasian Commission, the institutional affiliation given: e.g. Interview, Russia 2014; Interview, Eurasian Commission 2014; etc.). For each interview, informed consent was obtained. However, the authors of this article felt that extra ethical obligations were necessary when presenting the personal opinions of respondents.

2. Armenia’s power grid is controlled by Armenian Electrical Network, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Russian power company Inter RAO UES, which stated that the proposed hike was necessary to offset losses stemming from the declining value of Armenia’s currency.