This book is a novel contribution to the 'practice theory' turn in International Relations. It looks at practitioners' approaches to the EU's foreign policy to its eastern neighbourhood, particularly Russia, and offers a new methodology for capturing practices using the analytical approach of Discursive International Relations and the Discursive Practice Model. Drawing on data from the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament's AFET committee members, the study concludes that EU practitioners are concerned with the collective EU identity, normative and moral duties and collective security interests when considering EU policy towards Russia and other eastern neighbours. This suggest that practitioners are a lot more pragmatic when it comes to this policy area than previously assumed by the vast literature on the EU as a normative power.
Beatrix Futak-Campbell is Assistant Professor in International Relations at Leiden University
Title: Practising EU foreign policy: Russia and the eastern Neighbours
Author: Futák-Campbell, Beatrix
ISBN: 9780719095894
Binding:
Publisher: Manchester University Press
Publication Date: 2017-11-24
Number of Pages: 192
Weight: 0.3801 kg
'It is sometimes said, jokingly, that there are more people researching and writ- ing about EU foreign policy than actually doing it. Beatrix Futak-Campbell's book places the analytical spotlight on the latter and, more specifically, on 'EU practitioners' practice'. [...] for its elaborate and innovative conceptualisation of discur- sive practices in EU foreign policy and for its rich set of (re-usable) inter- view data, this book deserves wide readership in the EU studies scholarly community.'
David Cadier, CERI-Sciences Po Paris, European Review of International Studies 7 (2020)
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