Workshop and panel debate: the EU after the Arab Spring
On 3-4 December 2015 a workshop on the theme Powerless Europe? Exploring the EU's Power towards the Southern Neighbourhood was organized by the Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI).
This two-day workshop brought together a number of scholars from the fields of European Integration Studies (EIS), International Relations (IR), and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) area studies in order to explore the ways in which the European Union may be understood to exercise power in global politics. The rationale for the workshop was to discuss the prevalent notion that the hopeful sentiments at the dawn of the so-called "Arab Spring" in 2011 have given way to a profound pessimism regarding the future of the MENA-region. On the face of it, and at least in the short term, the EU has been utterly unable ("powerless?) to influence outcomes for the better.
Theoretically, the workshop was to advance the scholarly debate about the ways in which the EU exercises power in global politics, covering the notion of "normative power europe" as well as critical and post-colonial perspectives.
Empirically, the workshop sought to explore how the EU attempts to exercise power in the region through classic diplomacy, economic policies, border controls, democracy promotion, and development aid. By doing so the workshop also sought to examine what post-"Arab Spring" developments in the region tell us about how to advance our understandings of the possibilities as well as limitations of the EU to exercise influence in global politics.
The workshop was followed by a public panel debate on Europe and its southern neighbourhood: promoting change and managing instability? with Christian Danielsson (Head of DG NEAR at the European Commission) and several workshop participants.
The workshop was funded through a grant generously provided by Riksbankens jubileumsfond.
Workshop participants:
Dr. Stefan Borg (Swedish Institute of International Affairs) (organizer)
Dr. Dimitris Bouris (College of Europe, Natolin)
Dr. Niklas Bremberg (Swedish Institute of International Affairs) (organizer)
Dr. Assem Dandashly (University of Maastricht)
Prof. Thomas Diez (University of Tübingen)
Dr. Nora El Qadim (University Paris 8)
Dr. Beste Isleyen (University of Amsterdam)
Prof. Michael Loriaux (Northwestern University)
Prof. Ian Manners (University of Copenhagen)
Prof. Michelle Pace (University of Roskilde)
Dr. Andrea Teti (University of Aberdeen)