The concept of Normative Power Europe (NPE), as developed by Ian Manners, conceives the Europe Union (EU) as an actor with an ideational nature, embodying common principles and shaping norm diffusion in the international system. In this context, Human Rights are particularly important, as one of the EU’s founding principles, first mentioned in the 1973 Copenhagen declaration on European identity. However, in spite of the EU’s self-portrayal as a global actor, its Eastern Partnership (EaP) integration project clashes with Moscow’s aspirations in the former Soviet space. Our research on the EU’s normative power selects Georgia as a case study, a country with intentions of EU accession that is part of the European Neighbourhood Policy, and whose previous and existing human rights issues gained new visibility since the October 2018 presidential elections, according to Human Rights Watch. We see this study as made ever more relevant in light of the rapidly forming and developing relations across Eurasia, which increase the stake of larger powers such as Russia and the EU in strategically located countries like Georgia, as well as the latter’s role in ensuring peace and prosperity in Europe and Asia. As such, the EU has engaged with Georgia in order to advance many of its agendas, including on Human Rights. Although respecting this fundamental principle constitutes a requirement for all EU partner states, the lack of membership prospects through the EaP is seen as limiting impetus towards reforms at various levels. Intending to test that argument within the framework of Human Rights, in a country with a strongly pro-EU stance, our research draws from Nathalie Tocci’s (2008) approach to the study of normative power by means of asking three research questions: what does the EU want, how does it act, and what does it achieve? Our aims are to understand EU goals in the field of Human Rights in Georgia; how those goals are manifested through processes of norm diffusion; and to examine potential results of EU involvement therein.

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European Union,Georgia,Human Rights,Normative Power Europe

• Political Science - Social Sciences
• Other Social Sciences - Social Sciences