ENP, a European Neo-colonial Partnership? A study on the European Neighbourhood Policy in regard to the development of the Arab Spring in Tunisia and Algeria
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2012-08
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en
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Abstract
This master thesis analyses the foreign policy of the European Union (EU) across the
Mediterranean Sea. The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) forms the framework for the
partnerships the Union has with its neighbouring countries. Because of the nature of the Union
and its approach towards former colonies of EU member states, the approach of the
Neighbourhood Policy is criticised for being neo-colonial (Boedeltje & Van Houtum, 2008).
To see whether and to what extent this is the case the second chapter will elaborate on the
theoretical aspects of colonial legacies. These include the aspects of Said’s book “Orientalism”
(Said, 1979, pp. 300-301), which look at the difference created between the ‘East’ and the ‘West,
abstractions of presentation and the (self-)definition of the actors, as well as whether the ‘Orient’
needs to be feared or to be controlled. Additionally to these main aspects the concepts of the
construction of the ‘other’ and the construction of the border space were taken into account.
To frame the analysis the third chapter introduces the methodological framework. The execution
of the analysis was framed by Ideologiekritik and discourse analysis. Ideologiekritik looks at the
materialisation of social relations, whereas discourse analysis looks at power structures though
the production of meaning. Furthermore this chapter describes the choice and use of the data as
well as the framework of the analysis.
The fourth chapter outlines the general background of European foreign policy, especially across
the Mediterranean, and the historical background of the European Neighbourhood Policy. In the
second part of the analysis a first analysis of the Neighbourhood Policy is made, which also
regards the strategy of the policy before and after the developments of the Arab Spring.
To elaborate the European framework of foreign policy in more detail two case studies were
chosen: the European approach towards Tunisia and Algeria, which are described in chapter five
and six. Both countries have responded differently to the approach of the EU. The uprisings
during the Arab Spring in 2011 have not changed the EU approach fundamentally, but might be
a window of opportunity for closer cooperation. However, it is not possible to forecast future
developments, because of the relatively young and different developments that are currently
taking place within the Southern neighbours of the Union. Tunisia is in the process of changing
its political system completely, whereas in Algeria it seems to be a more gradual political change
through reforms.
The synthesis and the conclusion show that through the representation of the Union and its
partner countries within the Union’s documents the main goal is the plan for a secure and stable
border region. This does not hinder the Union to present itself as the ‘superior’ partner. Within
these last chapters it is shown that the Union has a neo-colonial ideology towards its
neighbouring countries. The Union has created a neo-colonial partnership with the ENP and at
the moment this leads to the construction of a heterogeneous border space.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen