International Relations Theories

TUTORIAL 1: International Relations Theories

• International Relations Theories (IR) explore how states interact, focusing on various key aspects

Ordering Principle:

• Neo-Realism: States operate in anarchy without inherent order
  • Defensive realism involves states seeking power for survival and balance
  • Offensive realism entails states maximizing power for superiority
• Neo-Liberalism: Anarchy exists among states, but cooperation is structured through the creation of rule of law
• Social Constructivism: State behavior is socially constructed based on shared beliefs, norms, and practices, anarchy isn't predetermined

Key Actors:

• Neo-Realism: Acknowledges the role of international organizations (IOs), they operate only through powers granted by states
• Neo-Liberalism: Includes international organizations, state actors, and domestic lobbying groups
• Social Constructivism: Encompasses individuals, groups, and international organizations, importance placed on ideas

Key Interests:

• Neo-Realism: Focuses on power, self-preservation, economic, and military security
• Neo-Liberalism: Encompasses ideas, norms, values, material, and economic interests
• Social Constructivism: Centers on power over norms, values, and legitimacy

Power:

• Neo-Realism: Emphasizes military power and considers power as a zero-sum game
• Neo-Liberalism: Prioritizes value-based power with the ideal solution of interdependence to avert war
• Social Constructivism: Views normative and ideological power as critical, enabling influence over international norms

Role of International Organizations:

• Neo-Realism: Sees international organizations as having restricted cooperative potential and hiding real power interests
• Neo-Liberalism: Promotes them as facilitating discussions, balancing governments, establishing international law, and enhancing interdependence
• Social Constructivism: Considers international organizations frameworks for state interaction that produce rules, norms, and shared identities, key for cooperation

Role of Values:

• Neo-Realism: Views values as facades masking hidden interests
• Neo-Liberalism: Recognizes value importance, linking it to international community economics and well-being to create interdependence
• Social Constructivism: Views values as essential in shaping state identities and international relations

Concerns:

• Neo-Realism: Explains military power, war, and its avoidance, especially considering the anarchical world
• Neo-Liberalism: Focuses on achieving peace through interdependence and institution creation
• Social Constructivism: Focuses on reality construction (norms, values, beliefs, identities and interests) and its effects

Conception of the EU:

• Neo-Realism: Portrays EU integration as self-interested, guided by powerful states; EU is a secondary tool for pursing these aims, with focus on power only within the state
• Neo-Liberalism: Sees EU integration as enhancing state interdependence through institutions that build peace, viewing the EU as a market power that can sanction and increase interdependence
• Social Constructivism: Sees the EU as framework for common values, states must integrate and accept the norms

TUTORIAL 2: RUSSIA vs UKRAINE

• Consists of the reasons and the timeline behind the Russian invasions on Ukraine

Reasons and Timeline of the Russian Invasion:

• Putin aimed to restore the URSS, seeing Western influence, including EU ties with Ukraine, as a threat
• Russia has ethnic claims over Crimea
• Russia was concerned about EU enlargement in their border
• The West provoked the war in 2014 because it threatened Russia
• Russia invaded Georgia in 2008 due to EU enlargement and NATO expansion
• 2014-2021 saw low-intensity fights
• Russia launched a full scale invasion in 2022. EU rejected the demand that Ukraine should never be a part of NATO
• The European Union sanctioned Russia, including economic sanctions for gas, oil and coal
• EU also supplied military aid to Ukraine
• Bucha massacre caused a ban of Russia imports
• Ukraine received its status as a candidate country
• 2025- Peace talks led by the US

EU Measures Taken:

• In 2014 both Germany and France did not call this an invasion as part of maintaining a diplomatic relationship
• Baltic countries wanted hard sanctions on Russia
• The international values of sovereign country were at stake, but peace should prevail
• Russia's continued invasion caused harder sanctions to be put in place

POV of the 3 IR Theories on the EU/Russia Reaction

• Realism: EU acted to maximize its own security due to threats from Russia, while Russia's was out of fear of Western influence
• Liberalism: EU favored using economic sanctions (a liberal principle) and worked with NATO, but its limited military aid and diplomatic results drew criticism
• Social Constructivism: EU's response was shaped by its ideals, it seen Ukraine as "other" with norms at stake, struggles include internal divisions, and value exclusions

POV of the 3 IR Theories on EU Measures

• Realist Response: Focused on military preparedness and aimed to weaken Russia's capabilities
• Liberal Response: Multilateralism, reflected through UN and NATO. Sanctions reflected economic interdependence to diminish Russia's financing of war through membership talks
• Constructivist Response: EU based it's actions on identity, defending democracy and authorized aggression.

TUTORIAL 3: Powers of the EU

• The European Union is a Normative Power Europe, power being created after the Second World War to focus on peace

Core Norms

• Peace
• Liberty
• Democracy
• The rule of law
• Human rights

Minor Norms

• The notion of social solidarity
• Anti-discrimination
• Sustainable development
• Good governance

EU Norms are Diffused by

• Contagion: Unintentional diffusion of ideas from the European Union to other actors
• Information Diffusion: Strategic communications
• Procedural Diffusion: Creating relation in order to the relationship between EU and the third party
• Transference: The EU trades, sends aid and or technical assistance to a party
• Overt Diffusion: The physical presence of the EU
• Cultural Filter: Constructing knowledge as part of political identity for subjects of norm diffusion

Normative Power

• EU influences affairs via promotion more than military or coercion
• EU power relies on defining concepts and the promoting of; democracy, human rights and rule of law

Civilian Power Europe (CPE)

• The EU has influences on policies through economic strength, diplomacy and international institutions rather than military force

Military Power Europe (MPE)

• Without self-sufficiency and defence, the EU lacks credibility

Criticisms of Normative Power Enforcement

• Not always consistent
• Strategic interests more than core beliefs can be served
• Without military back up, it's hard to dominate the world
• Does not lack hard power enforcement

Alternate Types Of Power Other Than Normative

• Lacks ability to set global terms

Characteristics

• EU is a single market: The EU's single market is one of the largest in the world, making it an attractive economic partner and has a strong bargaining power
• EU as regulatory institution: The EU's regulatory institutions allow it to promote its rules beyond its borders
• EU as interest contestation: Internal political actors influence how market power is exercised externally (lobbyists, NGOs, interest groups,..).

EU Policy Influences

• Soft power through trade agreements
• Financial and legal through the European Court

Criticisms of reliance on economic coercion through this power

• Regulatory imperialism
• Imposing rules on others without their opinions is enforced
• Approach may prioritses business or values

Realist European Power Realism

• Focuses On: the EU, national interests, and balance of power. Driven more through the interest and measure
• Lack this, but pushes EU to realism due to Russia-Ukraine war

Liberal Power Europe: Aims

• EU spread liberal democracy along trade expansion

Military Power Europe Focuses

• A military, future military strength should be increased
• **

EU Power Evolution

• 1950s - 1990s: Focus on economic ties and avoiding military intervention
• 2000s - 2010s: Strengthen normative and market strategies
• Past 2022: increase greater policy, military spending and security, sanctions on Russian gas

TUTORIAL 4: EUSC

Europe's Union Strategic Compass

• Defense strategy designed to increase EU's ability as a security act by 2030
• It was adopted formally March, 2022
• Global rise in competition, due to hybrid threats

Key EU Objectives

• Boosts defence capabilities, invest, act and partner with other third party countries

EU Strategic Orientation differs from EUCS Due to:

• Real world military and security
• Practical, militarized actions in order to combat and face Russian-Ukrainian war
• A current EUSC shapes risks into concrete measures - i.e Rapid Deployment Capacity

Other EUSC Reflections and Posture

• Assertiveness increasing due to more pressure, also enhances it by helping the EU with partnerships
• Decreases external suppliers and dependencies

Focus Of The EU

• Geopolitical needs, for both its MS and itself. Economic reasons and needs

Represented in EUSC By:

• Citizens and territories securing by improving intelligence, security and such

Ideals of EUSC

• From treaty of Human Rights, peace and democracy

EUSC Response from interests and values

• Countries will protect each other with material actions, strategic reasons
• Has the integrity to uphold sovereign

How to Uphold the Ideals of EUSC

• Must make a strong political point, and uphold equity

Power POV on EUSC

Realist Power

• Global threat and Russia war focus
• It does military build up, focus of military of defensive reasons; territorial defense and other protective means
• It also created high troop deployment capacity

Liberal Power

• Makes sure institutions work with each other (NATO, UA), mixes humantarian and military aid. Provides partnership for trust

Normative Power

• High in both values and framework
• Strong commit to multilateral
• Also uses diplomacy to build trust
• **

IR Theories & EUSC

Theory of Realism: How It Explains EU Policy

• It takes EU as something that defends national interest
• MS (military strength) doesn't like to share it with the EU
• Lacks real power, but relied on North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
• **

How to Explain With Liberalism

• International cooperation makes peace -Multilateral is top, in order for there all EU's safety
• **

Explanation with Constructivism

• Is for the most part of view changes.
• EU moves to assert geopolitical actions and act, in a geopolitical space
• In reactions to stability concerns, EU's is going for restructuring now

TUTORIAL 6: EU Trade Policy

EU & Trade Policy

• Open policy
• EU usually the leader. This has been maintained in efforts

Reasons to Approach

• To sustain economics across countries
• Transparency from the regime, so there are firms

EU Policies

• The third world countries must follow article 3 T EU

Trade Based

• There is sustainable development -Agreements align with EU "green"
• Financial services can help data protection and innovations