Lack of concerted action in The European Union's foreign policy: a comparative analysis of The European Union's presence in the Libyan and Syrian crises

Official URL: https://risc01.sabanciuniv.edu/record=b2486558_(Table of contents)

The European Union has come a long way since the Maastricht Treaty, which adopted the Common Foreign and Security Policy. Throughout the years, having a coherent foreign and security policy has always been a challenge that the Union faces, which first became evident in the Union’s presence during the stabilization of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Lisbon Treaty has been adopted to address to the problems with regards to the weakness in the Union’s ability to speak with one voice in foreign and security related issues. However, the intergovernmental nature of the CFSP has often trumped the efforts to have a coherent foreign policy making by reducing the Union’s chance of formulating a common strategy in related fields, which is mostly linked to diverging interests among the member states of the Union. The more preferences of the member states differ, the less likely the Union presents itself as a strong and active security actor at the international level. The arc of instability that erupted in Libya and Syria in 2011 has been a litmus test for the Union to reveal its capabilities as a security actor following the Lisbon Treaty. The thesis will examine how the diverging member state preferences play a huge role in shaping the EU’s response to these crises and in evaluating the Union’s weight as a strong international security actor