The Politics of Regional Identity: Meddling with the Mediterranean

Michelle Pace

European Research Institute

University of Birmingham

m.pace@bham.ac.uk

Main focus

• The ‘Mediterranean’ and how ‘region’ is integrated into EU foreign policy discourses & practices

• Language approach: Med & EU perceptions on the ‘region’ & EU policy

• Discourse as praxis (study of practices) & structures within discourse condition possible policies

Region-formation

• Regions as socially constructed• Processes of region-making through foreign policy

practice = link to identity politics• Focus on EMP/ENP through EU textual analysis +

interviews (Brussels, Greece, Morocco, Malta)• Perspective from Med: EMP as a manipulative

tool: false calls for reform by an imperial power, MS’s own interests not those of Med partners

Perceptions

• Radical accounts – EMP as part of a new “guardianship/trusteeship”, a return to the colonial era (subjugated voices)

• “Partnership” problematic• Regular markers of discourse• Malta, Cyprus and Turkey in the future –

helping to determine EU’s future: hence ‘understanding’ of Med attitudes important

Conceptual constellations of complex identities

• Linkage between EU foreign policy & politics of identity: foreign policy as a discursive activity

• Greece’s ambivalent relationship to Europe

• Malta’s eventual acceptance to integrate ‘into’ Europe

• Morocco’s happy acceptance as a partner

Issues raised

• Identity negotiations address fears of European integration project (negotiations on Turkey’s accession!) - & how these threaten a nation’s ‘cultural’ identity

• Persuasive power of the people vs. elitist project• How do perceptions of national, regional, cultural,

political etc identity impact on specific EU foreign policy decisions

Policy implications

• Need: convergence of perceptions around Euro-Med issues

• Need to focus more on political, economic, cultural, social interaction processes

• EMP still a good framework for regional inter-action

• Development of a process of learned trust & collective understandings

The role of the EU

• Instruments exist within Barcelona + ENP• EU’s vision is clear and interests of MS are

more clearly laid out in ENP: security and stability in and around the EU (political, economic and social stability)

• ENP offers a better framework for implementation of ‘Partnership’ – involvement of civil societies etc

Role of social communication processes

• Contractual aspects of EMP, ENP important BUT

• Cognitive and psychological aspects CRITICAL – understanding, dialogue,

• EU’s institutional modes of operation?

• All partners should in some way have clear benefits of partnership

Remaining challenges

• Unresolved apprehensions and misperceptions

• Ambiguous attitudes towards ‘elitist’ projects

• Clear benchmarks with monitoring and follow up mechanisms crucial (eg. Literacy rates, employment rates, etc)