Normative Power Europe in the Maghreb

Download or read book Normative Power Europe in the Maghreb written by Mark Langan and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 20 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The European Union has loudly voiced its intention to facilitate both social prosperity and democratisation in North Africa. EU officials claim that the stabilisation of the Maghreb will reduce security threats - as well as migration flows - to the EU-28, as well as improve the lives of ordinary citizens in the region. In particular, the EU seeks to conclude Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreements (DCFTAs) with Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt. These are seen as a vital response to the Arab Spring - integrating North African countries into the globalised economy, and resulting in 'win-win' outcomes for all concerned. This paper argues, however, that European elites' pursuit the DCFTAs calls into question the ethical dimensions of EU relations with the Maghreb. While Normative Power Europe seeks to build more tranquil societies in North Africa, nevertheless, its trade policies threaten to exacerbate inequalities and social unrest. Notably, the prospect of deindustrialisation in manufacturing sectors in wake of DCFTAs will do much to entrench economic asymmetries between the European metropole and its neighbours. Utilising a moral economy approach (qua Andrew Sayer), the article argues that emerging success stories such as Morocco and Tunisia should contest European trade prerogatives on the normative terrain established by European officials themselves - that is, in terms of poverty and stability impacts.