Human Security and the Search for a Normative Narrative

Abstract

Does normative Europe need a new narrative? Alongside a sustained debate about the role of the European Union (EU) in the international system, and the nature of its power as an external actor, European foreign and security policies continue to reflect an awkward mixture of civilian, military and normative instruments, and ambiguous goals. The EU lacks a conceptual framework for its international presence, capable of organizing and improving the integration of its civilian and military characteristics, of justifying and explaining its external policies and last but not least of motivating support for its role.