EU Soft Power Illusion.

Abstract

The main thesis of the present paper argues that the EU does not have the reservoir of soft power that it claims to have for the purpose of pursuing security policies in its immediate neighbourhood. Specifically, the EU cannot depend on economic carrots to force countries in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) to conform to the EU’s standards and norms. When Russia is also using its leverage and power to sway these same countries into Russia’s own sphere of influence, this lack of true soft power becomes more evident. As a result, the EU should recalibrate its approach to attracting countries to pursue shared policy goals. They should focus on socialising its neighbours to internalise and accept EU norms through New Public Diplomacy approaches, as outlined by Jan Melissen and colleagues. This involves the EU pulling back from the asymmetrical one-way transmission of standards onto these recipient countries. The results of the conditionality approach after a decade show the approach to be hollow. Instead, the EU should demand less norm convergence from the elites with EU’s standards. It should also re-establish its relationship with EaP countries on the basis of two-way communication, sustained dialogue with foreign publics and a greater focus on equality of partnership.

Keywords: European Union, Eastern Neighbourhood, Soft Power, Democracy