External perceptions of the European Union as a global actor

250 Pages·2010·2.172 MB·English

by  Sonia Lucarelli, Lorenzo Fioramonti

External Perceptions of the European
Union as a Global Actor
This book provides the first detailed analysis of perceptions of the European
Union throughout the world.
Through a wide range of policies, from international trade to global environ-
mental agreements, the EU has not only carved an important space for its inter-
national outreach, but it has also presented itself as a ‘distinctive’ global power,
whose actions are based more on shared values and principles rather than
national interests. This book attempts to test this ‘distinctiveness’ theory by
unveiling what the rest of the world thinks of the EU.
Carrying out the first global analysis of perceptions of the EU, the book
considers:
• political and economic elites, public opinion, civil society organizations and
the media in other global powers (US, Russia and China), emerging markets
(Brazil, India, Mexico, South Africa), the Middle East (Iran, Israel, Lebanon
and Palestine), and the developing world (the ACP countries and the African
Union),
• international agencies (UN and World Bank), non- Western media (Al

Jazeera) and diplomatic circles.
Providing insights about attitudes of the European Union, which may run counter
to the assumptions of EU policy makers, this book will be of major interest to
students and scholars of European Studies, Politics and Area Studies.
Sonia Lucarelli is Lecturer of International Relations at the University of Bologna,
Italy. Lorenzo Fioramonti is Research Fellow at the University of Bologna, Italy
and at the Department of Political Sciences at the University of Pretoria, South
Africa.
Routledge/GARNET series: Europe in the world
Edited by David Armstrong
, UK
Karoline Postel-V inay
Centre for International Studies and Research (CERI), France.
Editorial Board: Dr Mary Farrell, Sciences Po, Paris; Dr Karoline Postel-
Vinay, CERI, France; Professor Richard Higgott, University of Warwick, UK;
Dr Christian Lequesne, CERI, France and Professor Thomas Risse, Free Uni-
versity Berlin, Germany.
International Advisory Committee: Dr Salma Bava, Jawaharlal Nehru Univer-
sity, New Delhi, India; Dr Knud Erik Jørgensen, University of Aarhus, Denmark;
Professor Sunil Khilnani, SAIS, Johns Hopkins University, USA; Dr Anne- Marie
Legloannec, CERI, France; Dr Xiaobo Lu, SIPA, Columbia University, USA;
Professor James Mittelman, University of Washington, USA; Dr Karen Smith,
London School of Economics, UK; Professor Elzbieta Stadtmuller, University of
Wroclaw, Poland.
The Routledge GARNET series, Europe in the World, provides a forum for
innovative research and current debates emanating from the research community
within the GARNET Network of Excellence. GARNET is a Europe- wide
network of 43 research institutions and scholars working collectively on ques-
tions around the theme of ‘Global Governance, Regionalisation and Regulation:
The Role of the EU’, and funded by the European Commission under the sixth
Framework Programme for Research.
1 EU Foreign Policy in a 4 Governance and the
Globalized World Depoliticisation of Development
Normative power and social Edited by Wil Hout and
preferences Richard Robison
Edited by Zaki Laïdi
5 The European Union and
2 The Search for a European International Organizations
Identity Knud Erik Jørgensen
Values, policies and legitimacy of
the European Union 6 The EU and Global Governance
Edited by Furio Cerutti and Edited by Mario Telò
Sonia Lucarelli
7 External Perceptions of the
3 The European Union and the European Union as a Global
Social Dimension of Actor
Globalization Edited by Sonia Lucarelli and
How the EU influences the world Lorenzo Fioramonti
Edited by Jan Orbie and Lisa Tortell
External Perceptions of the
European Union as a
Global Actor
Edited by Sonia Lucarelli and
Lorenzo Fioramonti
First published 2010
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2009.
To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s
collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.
© 2010 Selection and editorial matter, Sonia Lucarelli and Lorenzo
Fioramonti; individual chapters, the contributors
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested
ISBN 0-203-86691-6 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN10: 0-415-48100-7 (hbk)
ISBN10: 0-203-86691-6 (ebk)
ISBN13: 978-0-415-48100-7 (hbk)
ISBN13: 978-0-203-86691-7 (ebk)
Contents
List of figures vii
List of tables viii
List of contributors x
Acknowledgements xiv
List of abbreviations xv
1 Introduction: the EU in the eyes of the others – why bother? 1
SONIA LUCARELLI AND LORENzO FIORAMONTI
PART I
Great powers, conflict areas and emerging markets 11
2 American perceptions of the EU: through a glass, darkly or
through the looking glass? 13
JAMES C. SPERLING

3 Eastern giants: the EU in the eyes of Russia and China 32
MARA MORINI, ROBERTO PERUzzI AND ARLO POLETTI
4 Taking the lead: EU mediation role assessed by Iran and
Lebanon 52
RUTH HANAU SANTINI, RAFFAELE MAURIELLO AND
LORENzO TROMBETTA
5 Between attraction and resistance: Israeli views of the
European Union 70
SHARON PARDO
6 Conflict and hope: the EU in the eyes of Palestine 87
SIMONA SANTORO AND RAMI NASRALLAH
vi Contents
7 The emerging ‘global south’: the EU in the eyes of India,
Brazil and South Africa 105
GERRIT OLIVIER AND LORENzO FIORAMONTI
8 So far, so close? Mexico’s views of the EU 120
ALEJANDRO CHANONA
PART II
International organizations, regional institutions and the
media 135
9 Partnership in peril? Images and strategies in EU–ACP
economic partnership agreement negotiations 137
OLE ELGSTRÖM
10 Aid, trade and development: World Bank views on the EU’s
role in the global political economy 150
EUGENIA BARONCELLI
11 The EU through the eyes of the United Nations: the quest
for unity 165
FRANzISKA BRANTNER
12 Regional partners? Perceptions and criticisms at the
African Union 180
DANIELA SICURELLI

13 Non- Western media and the EU: perspectives from
Al Jazeera 195
DONATELLA DELLA RATTA
14 Close enough? The EU’s global role described by
non- European diplomats in Brussels 207
CATERINA CARTA
15 Conclusion: self- representations and external perceptions
– can the EU bridge the gap? 218
LORENzO FIORAMONTI AND SONIA LUCARELLI
Index 226
Figures
6.1 Percentage of questions and answers on the EU, USA, UN, the
Quartet and the international community 94
8.1 Public opinion’s perceptions of the EU (1995–2005) 123
8.2 Mexicans believing the EU is a counterweight to the USA and
preferences for either actor according to policy sector (2004) 124
8.3 Mexico’s preferences for Latin America and EU (from 2004 to
2006) 125
14.1 Images associated with the EU 208
14.2 The EU’s main role in world politics 210
Tables
2.1 Department and agency perceptions of the European Union as
an actor, 1990–2007 17
2.2 Interest group perceptions of the European Union 20
2.3 Press perceptions of the European Union as an actor:
New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post 25
3.1 Chinese and Russian views of European and US influence in
the world 33
3.2 Russian attitudes towards Western countries and organizations 34
3.3 Evaluation of world powers 35
3.4 Russians’ opinions about which countries and organizations
will play the most important world role in the next 10–15 years 35
3.5 Russia and Western cooperation 36
3.6 Main issues associated with perception of the EU in the political
elites’ discourse 41
3.7 Number of EU news items in the Chinese press 42
3.8 Mentions of the EU in the Russian press in 2004 42
3.9 Contents of EU repre sentations in Chinese media 44
4.1 Perceptions of the EU by political elites in Iran and Lebanon 57
4.2 Iranian views of world powers 57
5.1 Distribution of items and links to the EU/Europe by theme in
100 Israeli civil society organizations’ websites 76
5.2 Press coverage of the EU in Israel’s three leading newspapers 77
5.3 Coverage of the EU/Europe and EU member states in Israel’s
three leading newspapers by theme 78
5.4 Number of times the EU/Europe and EU member states are
mentioned in Israel’s three leading newspapers 82
6.1 Palestinian views of EU financial support to the PA 96
7.1 Brazilian and South African citizens who have heard of the EU 108
7.2 Effectiveness of international institutions for South African
citizens 109
7.3 How would you define relations between your country and . . . 110
7.4 Which power contributes most to . . . 110
Tables ix
7.5 Main issues associated with media coverage of the EU in Brazil,
India and South Africa 114
10.1 The EU in the eyes of the World Bank 152
10.2 Defining the EU’s power 154
11.1 Perception of the EU in different issue areas: ‘do you agree
that . . .’ 171
12.1 AU views of EU trade policy 185
12.2 AU views of EU peacekeeping policies 186