The EU’s International Image As Seen by the Commission’s Diplomats

Abstract: This article aims to present an overall portrait of the Union as an international actor, as stemming from the visions that officials working in the delegations of the European Commission hold. The analysis proposed draws on different sources. First, an analysis of speeches, declarations, official statements and informative materials published on some 80 websites of the delegations. These websites propose a standardized presentation of ‘the EU as a global player’, which can help us to define the official position of the European Commission on the issue. An unofficial picture of the EU as a global player stems from the analysis of 48 semi–structured interviews. Although there is relative similarity in the presentation of the EU’s international image, these offical and informal intepretations are not always interchangeable.