AbstractsPolitical Science

The European Union’s (EU) international role as a normative power has received increasing attention from academic circles. Yet, a new comprehensive approach to EU foreign and security policy has left uncertainty to whether this normative dedication lies in the pursuit of own interests rather than aimless export of norms and principles. This study therefore sets out to investigate whether the EU’s normative foundation has been affected by a comprehensive approach. It takes outset in the security-development nexus that has been the first step towards a comprehensive approach to external action. Based on the most recently developed strategy paper and action plan, it examines the promotion of norms and principles in the EU’s Sahel Strategy. Here, the results show that the strategy is founded on a normative justification, yet there is a tendency to neglect humanitarian values in the deduced ‘securitisation’ of development discourse. The study then considers how changes in the international environment has affected the EU’s ability to export norms. The final conclusion proves that the EU’s normative power has been challenged by a new approach to foreign and security policy, albeit still having an overall ground in its normative foundation. The study argues that the EU has corresponded to a weakened normative position in the international environment, taking a more pragmatic and realistic approach in which their norms are diffused through more diplomatic relations. Advisors/Committee Members: Lynggaard, Kennet (advisor).