Discourse Analysis of EU Public Diplomacy: Messages and Practices

This paper examines EU public diplomacy and its implications for the wider EU diplomatic efforts. Drawing on discourse theory, public diplomacy is conceptualised as a modality of diplomacy that seeks to influence specific elements within foreign political discourses.

The influence sought by the EU through its messages relates to the projection of its identity as an actor and to the diffusion of its own normative foundation, and it is argued that these are potentially conflicting objectives.

EU public diplomacy is characterized by its decentralized nature, where the delegations of the Commission in third states are the most important actors in the network 'doing' EU public diplomacy, since they plan and execute specific initiatives.

This paper argues that the traditional and public diplomacy of the EU are complementary sets of practices that are closely linked and influence each other. They are also both fundamentally restrained by political disagreement among member states about the nature and roles of the EU.

Finally, this paper argues that the network organization of EU public diplomacy, although giving rise to important problems of coherence, is better adapted to current patterns of diplomatic interaction and more effective in the pursuit of EU strategic objectives than a more hierarchical organization able to speak with one voice and act in a more concerted manne