EU Development Policies: Between Norms and Geopolitics
Description
(International Political Economy Series) 1st ed. 2019 Edition
by Sarah L. Beringer (Editor), Sylvia Maier (Editor), Markus Thiel (Editor)
“An excellent collection of essays that illustrate how EU member
states’ wish to implement normatively inspired policies is confronted
with the geopolitical realities of today’s world. The authors succeed in
presenting an even-handed account of the way in which the tensions
between norms and geopolitics play out, as well as of the responses
given by EU policy makers.”
―Wil Hout, International Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University, the Netherlands
The European Union (EU), while collectively constituting the world’s largest development provider, has come under internal and external pressures over the past decade. This book argues that the EU’s development policies are situated between the bloc’s normative ideals and the global geopolitical realities in which it is embedded. In order to investigate these tensions, it asks how far the 'normative power' Europe concept exists in EU development policies, and how far it is recognizable in the EU’s focus on human rights, the rule of law, and sustainability. In light of the tension in EU development policies between those ideals and the necessity to project neoliberal and geopolitical interests, how do receiving countries perceive the EU’s development efforts? This volume, complete with contributions from academics from a wide range of disciplines based all around the globe, provides answers to these essential questions.