The European Union's International Relations: A Theoretical View

This chapter analyzes theoretical answers to two key questions arising from the emergence of the European Union on the world stage. Firstly, what have been the causes of European integration in general and in the foreign policy field in particular? Given that prevailing models of international politics assume that states do not easily give up their sovereignty, classical and recent theoretical approaches to IR (realism, liberalism and constructivism) have struggled to find the motives for integration and integrate them in their overall frameworks. Secondly, the chapter investigates theoretical interpretations of the consequences of European integration for international relations in Europe and in the wider world. The chapter concludes by focusing on the possible future development of a European foreign policy.