The Politics of the European Neighbourhood Policy
- ISBN-10
- 0367425467
- ISBN-13
- 9780367425463
- Pages
- 224
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2020-06-22
- Publisher
- Routledge
- Author
- Agnieszka K. Cianciara
Description
This book examines the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) in the context of internal functions performed with regards to the European Union (EU) political system and its key actors. It argues that the ENP has been formulated not only in reaction to external challenges and threats, but also in response to EU internal legitimacy needs at systemic, institutional and actor level. Looking beyond governance approaches and the power of norms, this book follows a sociological approach to the politics of legitimation. Using Bourdieu's field theory, it bridges the rationalist-constructivist divide inherent in much of the ENP scholarship. While analysing articulations of EU institutions in terms of narrative production, reproduction and reconstruction, it sheds valuable light on where the conflicting goals, ambiguity and incoherence stem from. By highlighting third countries' responses and usages of ENP narratives for domestic and international legitimacy-seeking, the book calls for a more outside-in perspective on EU foreign policy. With the European integration project being increasingly contested, both internally and externally, this book provides a timely focus on the topic of legitimation and delegitimation dynamics with regards to EU foreign policy. This book is of key interest to scholars and students of European integration, EU Foreign Policy, and more broadly EU Studies and International Relations.
