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A 'primus inter pares' in EU foreign policy? : German leadership in the European council during the Libyan and Ukrainian crises
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0964-4008; 1743-8993
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German politics, 2020, Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 42-58
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VON WEITERSHAUSEN, Inez, SCHAFER, David, WESSELS, Wolfgang, A ‘primus inter pares’ in EU foreign policy? : German leadership in the European council during the Libyan and Ukrainian crises, German politics, 2020, Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 42-58 - https://hdl.handle.net/1814/70170
Abstract
Drawing on the characterisation of the European Council as an arena for 'integrative bargaining', the paper shows the importance of two factors that influence whether a country can act as 'first among equals' or ('Primus Inter Pares') in a system designed to respect national sovereignty : alignment among the 'Big Three', and 'voice opportunities' for smaller member states. We support this argument with view of Germany's divergent role in two recent international crises-the 2011 uprisings in Libya and the violent protests in Ukraine in 2014/2015. On the basis of these findings, we conclude that the ability to create consent among all Member States is both a key prerequisite and a serious challenge for effective leadership in EU foreign policy.
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First published online: 02 January 2020