EU som global politisk aktör - En utvärdering av Normative power Europe
UtrikespolitikEU'Normative Power'EuropePolitical and administrative sciencesStatsvetenskapFörvaltningskunskapLaw and Political Science
What kind of international actor is the European Union and how shall we define it? These are questions that many have tried to answer often by addressing the apparent uniqueness of the EU itself. One of these theories is Normative power Europe. A theory whose main argument is that the EU is best perceived as a changer of norms. My aim with this thesis is to test this claim and to see if the Union should be regarded as a normative power. I do this by first examining the theory itself through the research of its creator Ian Manners. The second step is taken by introducing a series of case studies that are all, more or less influenced by Normative power Europe-thinking. The third step is a chapter concerned with the views of the theory's critics and other opposing research. My conclusion is that the theory of Normative power Europe cannot explain or predict all external actions made by the EU. Though it can be useful tool when analysing some of the external actions.