Talking with EU - episode 15: The EU as a global actor: the need to uphold human rights in a time of polycrisis and international insecurity
episode
Making sense of EU - Institut d'études européennes of the ULB
32 min
1 speaker
8 chapters
transcribed 1 month ago
Transcript
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What narratives define the EU as a peace project and human‑rights actor?
MLB Podcast. Les podcasts de l'Université libre de Bruxelles.
Talking with you. The student's point of view. Here to share ideas, spark conversations, and inspire change. Let's get started!
Welcome to our new episode of Talking With The You, the podcast where the student's point of view matters. This show provides students with an open and safe space to discuss topics that concern us both as students and as passionate young individuals. Hello and welcome everyone. My name is Alessi Ruta and I will be hosting today's episode focusing on the European Union and its role in promoting human rights worldwide. Without further ado, let me introduce to you the two speakers that are with us today. First is Beatrice Aveyan Merello, policy analyst on international relations at the Foundation for European Progressive Studies. Hello, thanks for having me. And Zac Balzon, European Studies student here at the Institute de Tudopenne and writer at ISON Europe.
Hey everyone, thanks for having me.
Thank you both for joining us and being open to debate such a pivotal issue. There are several narratives about the European Union, narratives that label it as a peace project and as a human rights actor. The former refers to its merit of preserving peace among its member states, although it must be mentioned that some scholars argue that peace is a causal factor of European integration rather than a consequence of it. The latter, on the other hand, refers to the way the EU operates to safeguard fundamental rights within its borders and promote human rights abroad through foreign and trade policy. Definitely these narratives, these labels are anchored in existing policy aspects. However, the mismatch between the perception or self perception of the EU as a worldwide guardian and promoter of peace and human rights and the way its institutions are navigating the current dramatic international landscape is becoming more and more evident.
We could reference in human migration policies, but also the evident double standards in addressing armed conflicts and genocide. Indeed, nowadays the public debate is big on the suspension of the EU Israel Association Agreement following Israel's gross violations of human rights of Palestinians. The European citizens' initiative on this matter largely passed the threshold of one million signatures and it's still ongoing. Meanwhile, on the twenty first of April, the Foreign Affairs Council rejected the push for the suspension of these agreements. mainly due to the Vatus of Italy and Germany. So on this premises, my first question to you is how does this alter the big narratives about the EU as a peace promoter and a human rights actor?
And what are the long term implications for the global role of the EU?
Well yeah, th thank you very much for for this question and this introduction. I think you you clearly put uh hit the the nail on the head. Um it's it's very tough to to actually still see right the EU as a as a peace promoter, like you say, right? This idea that we have from Jan Manner is for of normative power Europe that uh many still believe, right, that this uh that the EU is radiating this idea. But when we see uh when it comes to the the genocide in Gaza, when we see the EU response, it's it's very brittle. It's very little, it's very um uncoordinated, and we are a bit disappointed. Hence the European Citizen Initiative and hence uh a lot of states right taking up um control by themselves of this fair foreign policy.
Policy issue like Spain and Ireland. Um, I think we are sort of waking up uh to those narratives. We are altering the narrative because many countries, many citizens uh and scholars as well, I think of Kavinsky, I think of Nicolaides, who criticized no normative power Europe, um also realize that it's sort of Of a facade, right? A front show.
How does the EU’s response to the Israel‑Palestine conflict challenge those narratives?
Because when those human rights values are jeopardized at literally the border of the EU, one might say, um, in Palestine and Israel, um, it is clear that it isn't it's not about any more um human rights.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What narratives define the EU as a peace project and human‑rights actor?
0:03–4:06
2
How does the EU’s response to the Israel‑Palestine conflict challenge those narratives?
4:06–8:06
3
Why did the Foreign Affairs Council reject suspending the EU‑Israel Association Agreement?
8:06–12:41
4
What structural and institutional flaws limit the EU’s ability to act on human rights?
12:41–17:13
5
How can the EU achieve coherence and consistency in its foreign‑policy actions?
17:13–22:13
6
What concrete steps should the EU take to support international law and the ICC?
22:13–26:30
7
Can the EU still become a credible global peace and human‑rights actor?
26:30–31:03
8
What role can young Europeans play in reshaping the EU’s external action?
31:03–32:18
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from Making sense of EU - Institut d'études européennes of the ULB
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