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The EU as a Normative Power and the Research on External Perceptions: The Missing Link
Author(s) -
Larsen Henrik
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
jcms: journal of common market studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.54
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1468-5965
pISSN - 0021-9886
DOI - 10.1111/jcms.12109
Subject(s) - normative , perception , argument (complex analysis) , power (physics) , positive economics , political science , social psychology , psychology , epistemology , law and economics , sociology , law , economics , philosophy , medicine , physics , quantum mechanics
In research on E uropean foreign policy two important axes of debate have been running relatively independently of each other for more than a decade: the study of the E uropean U nion as a normative power ( NPE ) and the study of external perceptions of the EU . However, the studies of external perception offer some findings that are central for the NPE debate. This article's argument is that the external perceptions literature points to a limited (if still identifiable) perception of the EU as a normative power depending on the geographical area. By comparison, the image of a powerful economic actor is prevalent. The article raises the question of whether the thin and geographically varied character of the perceptions relating to the EU as a normative power justifies the general designation of NPE . A new agenda focusing on geographical differences and interaction with other sources of power is outlined.