The European Union and upheavals in its neighborhood: A force for stability?

International Journal of Public Administration, Taylor & Francis

Lupu Dinesen Ruxandra

Senior Research Fellow at the Institute Kristi Raik has written an article about the EU and upheavals in its neighborhood together with Lupu Dinesen Ruxandra. The article is entitled “The European Union and upheavals in its neighborhood: A force for stability?” and it was published on October 23rd in International Journal of Public Administration  (vol. 38, issue 12, pages 902-914).

This article explores the EU’s action in the context of revolutionary upheavals in its neighborhood, focusing on two cases where the EU’s overall influence is relatively strong: Moldova in 2009 and Tunisia in 2010–2011. It analyzes the intertwining of the normative and strategic agendas by examining the goals, instruments and impact of EU action in each case. The findings highlight a limited and reactive role of the EU, a strong emphasis on stability and a shift towards a more normative engagement in response to external changes that made it easier to merge security- and value-oriented goals.