Who is a Normative Foreign Policy Actor? The European Union and its Global Partners

Abstract

This book is without doubt a highly original and ambitious endeavour to peer into one of the major ‘known unknowns’ of the 21st century. The question is what will become the rules of the game for foreign policy at the global level when, as obviously now emerges, there are multiple major powers on the world scene. The 20th century era when the United States came to rule virtually alone is over. This project starts from the perspective of the European Union. The EU sees itself as both an emerging global actor, and one that clearly identifies itself in principle with certain norms and values: democracy, human rights, international law and a functioning multilateral order. But we have to see what it does, as well as what it says. Is it true that the EU is a ‘normative’ foreign policy actor in practice? And what about the other major actors - China, India, Russia and the US? What do they say, and what do they do? What does it mean to be a ‘normative’ foreign policy actor? Who - if anyone - proves to be a normative foreign policy actor in practice? This project led by Nathalie Tocci applies a rigorous common analytical framework to explore these vital questions. High standards are set for ‘normative’ foreign policy: there has to be consistency in the objectives, the means employed and the results obtained. Otherwise, it is just talk. The analytical framework identifies four paradigms of foreign policy behaviour: the normative, the realpolitik, the imperial and the status quo actor.