WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SOFT VALUES WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT? European Foreign Policy in Times of Crisis

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the European Union’s (EU) foreign policy value promotion before, during and after the energy crisis of 2022. The EU is dependent on energy imports from external countries, and because of the war in Ukraine, the EU sanctioned Russia and could no longer rely on Russian energy imports, which constituted a significant part of the Union’s energy consumption. Since the EU is vastly dependent on foreign actors to supply its energy needs, this thesis examines how the EU’s promotion of values has changed within its foreign policy. The EU is claiming to be an entity advocating for human rights and climate mitigation, but conflicting interests and energy shortages challenges this self-perception. The general research question guiding the thesis is: What values are prioritised in EU’s foreign policy during times of crisis? To answer the question, a qualitative content analysis with statistical elements has been conducted, and a variety of policy documents have been analysed through two analytical tools. The analytical tools are connected to idealism and realism through three diplomatic practices: climate diplomacy, human rights diplomacy and energy diplomacy. Climate diplomacy and human rights diplomacy is related to idealism, while energy diplomacy is related to realism. The results reveal that the usage of words related to energy diplomacy increased during the energy crisis, and most documents included phrases where energy supply was considered to be weaponised and used as a threat towards the EU. The results also indicate a generally low prioritisation of the soft values found in climate diplomacy and human rights diplomacy, also during times of stability.