The progressive reinforcement of the European Union as a global, normative, diplomatic, security and defensive actor, and now strengthened against the Coronavirus: 2016-2020

• Author: Francisco Aldecoa Luzárraga
• Pages: 21-60

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The progressive reinforcement of the European Union

as a global, normative, diplomatic,

security and defensive actor, and now strengthened

against the Coronavirus: 2016-2020

F A L

Chair of International Relations

at the Complutense University of Madrid

Abstract: In this chapter, to explain this new situation, I analyse

how today the European Union is in the best situation than other actors

to face the challenges that the Coronavirus poses to international security.

This is due to what happened during the previous four years the EU

had strengthened itself as a diplomatic, regulatory, security and even

defensive actor, which are the necessary conditions that can face the new

international situation in better conditions than the hegemon, the United

States, and China, the “candidate”.

The very serious global epidemic comes at a very worrying moment for

world stability, as the multilateral world political system, that was created at

the end of the Second World War and that has been perfected to over the

past few years. However, in the face of the crisis caused by the epidemic,

the only possible response must be to strengthen and strengthen the

multilateral system, not only in the field of health at WHO, but also in the

United Nations system and its specialized agencies such as the World Trade

Organization, which is in a deep crisis as witnessed by the recent resignation

of its Director General, Roberto Azevêdo, in mid-May, or the ILO, FAO,

and even UNESCO, among many other organizations international.

Resumen: En este capítulo, para explicar esta nueva situación, analizo

como la Unión Europa hoy está en mejor situación que otros actores

para hacer frente a los desafíos que el Coronavirus plantea a la seguridad

internacional. Esto es debido a que precisamente durante los cuatro años

anteriores la UE se había reforzado como actor diplomático, normativo,

de seguridad e incluso defensivo, que son las condiciones necesarias

que permiten enfrentarse a la nueva situación internacional en mejores

condiciones que el hegemón, los Estado Unidos y China, el aspirante.

Francisco Aldecoa Luzárraga

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La gravísima epidemia global llega en un momento muy preocupante

para la estabilidad mundial, ya que se está poniendo, de forma creciente,

en peligro el sistema político mundial multilateral que se creó desde el fin

de la segunda guerra mundial y que se ha ido perfeccionando a lo largo de

los últimos años. Sin embargo, frente a la crisis generada por la epidemia,

la única respuesta posible tiene que ser reforzando y fortaleciendo el

sistema multilateral, no solo en el ámbito de la salud en la OMS, sino en el

conjunto del sistema de las Naciones Unidas y sus agencias especializadas

como puede ser la Organización Mundial de Comercio, que está en una

profundísima crisis como lo atestiguan la reciente dimisión de su Director

General, Roberto Azevêdo, a mediados de mayo, o la OIT, la FAO, e incluso

la UNESCO, entre otras muchas organizaciones internacionales.

Summary: 1. General considerations; 2. The consolidation of

the global and normative actor; 3. Emergence and

deployment of the European Union as a diplomatic

actor; 4. Driving factors of EU strategic action and

the birth of the defence policy; 4.1. The growing risks

and threats at Europe’s borders; 4.2. Brexit (23 June

2016): from problem to opportunity for the European

Union upon becoming an internal federator; 4.3. Since

Trump’s arrival (20 January 2017), the United States

has become an external federator; 4.4. Europeans’

changing perceptions of the European political project

and defence policy; 5. The notion and application of

strategic autonomy; 6. Developments in the field of

defence policy, especially in PESCO, and their limits;

7. The new political cycle, a consequence of the

elections of 23-26 May 2019; 8. The European response

to the security crisis caused by the coronavirus; 9. The

need for the European Union to become stronger in

the world, also to face the coronavirus; 10. Conclusion:

the European Union is better prepared than any other

actor to lead global governance of the coronavirus.

The progressive reinforcement of the European Union as a global, normative, diplomatic, ...

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1. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

This study analyses the process of consolidation of the

European Union (EU) as a global, normative, diplomatic, security

and defensive actor, especially during the last four years, where

there has been an acceleration in the configuration of the EU as

an international actor. I also explain what has been happening in

these last six months as a result of the Coronavirus crisis, where

the external role of the European Union is growing precisely in

the fight against the Coronavirus.

The EU is facing the epidemic at a time when it was

consolidating its position as a global actor and had a clear

direction, both internally and internationally, as a result of the

new political cycle. This political cycle is the result of the May

2019 elections and the new European Commission, which will be

born out of the political compromise resulting from the elections,

will be chaired by Ursula von der Leyen. It will be launched on 1

December 2019.

Thus, the Coronavirus crisis comes as the EU was beginning to

implement its new policy agenda. It had priorities that are not only

compatible with the exit from the crisis, but also serve to address

it. The international objective was to make “a stronger Europe in the

world”. COVID-19 is facilitating the implementation of the priorities

of this new Commission. In other words, it is becoming a catalyst that

helps and accelerates the fulfilment of established programmatic

priorities, especially that of strengthening its global role.

To explain this new situation, I will analyse how the European

Union today is better positioned than other actors to meet the

challenges that the Coronavirus poses to international security.

This is precisely because during the previous four years the EU

had strengthened itself as a diplomatic, normative, security and

even defensive actor, which are the necessary conditions that