After Vilnius: the European Union’s smart power and the Eastern Neighbourhood

Abstract:

The concept of “smart power” is relevant for the analysis of European Union’s external action, insofar as the relations with other parties include conditionality and payments. The Eastern Partnership falls in that category, and the recent developments associated with the 2013 Vilnius Summit can be understood in relation with the European Union’s policies toward the Eastern neighbourhood. The article suggests that a better combination of hard power and soft power strategies is needed, in order to promote European values and interests in the region.