Suchergebnisse

The world's leading economy, the EU, is emerging as an influential political power on the world stage. In particular, the EU's steady and profitable trade relations with Asia are being balanced increasingly with the growing political involvement of the EU in Asia. In this context, the EU's relations with the most powerful players in the Asian region (Japan specifically) is of a paramount interest to the political practitioners and scholars. This paper aims to provide a systematic account for the perceptions and images of the EU existing in Japan's public discourses of news media, national policy- and decision-makers, the business community and civil society. The reputable Japanese news media are found to portray the EU using neutral-to-positive assessments depicting it as a similarly thinking international partner, an important economic counterpart and a model to be critically considered for replication. Yet, the study argues a split in perceptions of the EU between Japan's political and business elites on the one hand, and the general public and civil society sector on the other, with the EU consistently 'slipping off the radars' of the latter.

This article analyses the perceptions that young people in Ukraine have of the European Union (EU) and the Baltic States. Based on a qualitatively rich data set from surveys carried out with students across four regions of Ukraine – Kyiv, Odesa, Ivano-Frankivsk and Kharkiv – the paper draws on International Relations (IR) image theory to analyse the cognitive, normative, and emotive elements of youth perceptions of the national Self of Ukraine and the important Others of the EU and the Baltic States. Several key findings emerge from the study: (1) youth in Ukraine have broadly positive attitudes towards the EU and the Baltic States; (2) young people in Ukraine report greater familiarity with EU affairs than those of the Baltic States; but (3) attitudes to the EU are predominantly cognitive while (4) attitudes to the Baltic States are predominantly emotive; and finally (5) youth in Ukraine perceive the EU and Baltic state Other in normatively positive terms but the national Self in normatively negative terms.
Our findings underline the centrality of the emotive aspect of IR image theory in public perception research and in processes of political socialization. This study therefore makes an important contribution to theoretical literatures on IR image as well as providing a timely empirical analysis with direct relevance to EU external relations diplomacy and the development of EU neighbourhood policy.
European Union, Ukraine, Baltic States, International Relations, Image Theory, Mental Mapping, Public Perception Research

This article analyses the perceptions that young people in Ukraine have of the European Union (EU) and the Baltic States. Based on a qualitatively rich data set from surveys carried out with students across four regions of Ukraine – Kyiv, Odesa, Ivano-Frankivsk and Kharkiv – the paper draws on International Relations (IR) image theory to analyse the cognitive, normative, and emotive elements of youth perceptions of the national Self of Ukraine and the important Others of the EU and the Baltic States. Several key findings emerge from the study: (1) youth in Ukraine have broadly positive attitudes towards the EU and the Baltic States; (2) young people in Ukraine report greater familiarity with EU affairs than those of the Baltic States; but (3) attitudes to the EU are predominantly cognitive while (4) attitudes to the Baltic States are predominantly emotive; and finally (5) youth in Ukraine perceive the EU and Baltic state Other in normatively positive terms but the national Self in normatively negative terms. Our findings underline the centrality of the emotive aspect of IR image theory in public perception research and in processes of political socialization. This study therefore makes an important contribution to theoretical literatures on IR image as well as providing a timely empirical analysis with direct relevance to EU external relations diplomacy and the development of EU neighbourhood policy.

Despite its growing popularity, research on EU external perceptions has yet to explore in detail how the sovereign Euro-debt crisis has affected the outsiders' views on integrating Europe and its global importance and what factors shape those perceptions. The question as to whether the crisis has impacted the visions of the core features of EU international identity, including the image of the EU as a global 'economic giant' and a 'soft' and 'normative' power', remains unexplored. Conceptualizing EU external perceptions as a link between theories explaining EU foreign policy actions, goals and capabilities and EU international identity, this article addresses these scholarly deficits and proposes analytical framework of global, location-specific and EU-specific factors shaping EU external perceptions. The article uses a 'mixed' method of analysis and applies it to 322 elite interviews from nine Asia-Pacific countries (2011-2012).

"This volume brings together contributions that conceptualise and measure EU perceptions in the strategic regions around the world in the aftermath of the UK referendum. Contributors assess the evolution of EU perceptions in each location and discuss how their findings may contribute to crafting foreign policy options for the "new EU-27". Brexit is very likely to have a substantial bearing on EU external policy, not merely because of the loss of a major Member State with a special relationship to the US and the Commonwealth, but also because it tarnishes the integrational success story that the EU strives to embody. This book thus serves a dual purpose: on the one hand it broadens the recent studies on Brexit by focusing on external partners' reactions and on the other it allows for an innovative evaluation of policy options for EU foreign policy. Based on a solid theoretical foundation and empirically rich data, it constitutes an innovative and timely addition to the evolving debate on Brexit and its consequences. This book will be of key interest to scholars and students of European politics, Brexit, British Politics, EU politics, comparative politics and international relations"--

Globale Energie-Governance vollzieht sich in einer multipolaren Welt, die von einer wachsenden Nachfrage nach Energie gekennzeichnet ist. Die EU und die aufstrebenden Staaten Brasilien, China, Indien und Südafrika (BICS) konkurrieren dabei um knappe Ressourcen. Gleichzeitig kooperieren die EU und BICS in bilateralen Energiedialogen.Dieser Band untersucht gegenseitigen Wahrnehmungen der EU und der aufstrebenden Staaten bei der Energie-Governance, den Herausforderungen der Energiekooperation und der gemeinsamen Governance knapper Ressourcen. Die Ergebnisse speisen sich aus der Analyse von Elitendiskursen sowie Medienanalysen, die sich auf die Sichtweisen aus BICS, der EU und den EU-"Big 3"-Mitgliedstaaten Deutschland, Frankreich und Großbritannien beziehen.