Abstract

The fact that the European Union plays an important role in international politics is hard to deny. However, there is a big disagreement regarding what type of role the EU has - is it the role of a superpower, military power or a civil power? Starting in the beginning of the 21st century, Ian Manner has developed a theory regarding the EU, claiming that it is a normative power. According to him, the EU has one main goal which is to spread norms and set the standard in the global arena.

This essay aims to contribute to the discussion about the role of the European Union. Using Ian Manners theory of normative power, I will examine the relationship between the European and the African Union. I will use thematic content analysis to examine the declarations that have been written after each summit between the unions, in order to illustrate if and how EU standards are represented in the partnership, and how they have changed.

When investigating the declarations, it appears that the norms that the EU - according to Manner’s theory - tries to spread, are in fact represented and the representation increases over time.

Keywords: European Union, African Union, Normative power, Partnership, Normative influence, Ian Manners, European identity.