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Normative Power or Geopolitical Actor? The Construction of EU Identity in Official Discourse on Strategic Autonomy Before and After the War in Ukraine

Basilio, Isabella LU (2026) EUHR18 20261
European Studies
Abstract
The purpose of this thesis is to examine how the European Union uses strategic autonomy to construct its identity as an international actor and whether this identity has shifted in the wake of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is based on the hypothesis that a gradual reconstruction of identity toward a more geopolitical dimension does not replace the EU’s normative identity. Drawing on constructivist discourse analysis, this thesis considers identity as discursively constructed. It examines EU official discourse on strategic autonomy through strategic documents and speeches issued by European institutions and representatives, using a systematic coding framework. The analysis traces the evolution of EU identity across two periods,... (More)
The purpose of this thesis is to examine how the European Union uses strategic autonomy to construct its identity as an international actor and whether this identity has shifted in the wake of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is based on the hypothesis that a gradual reconstruction of identity toward a more geopolitical dimension does not replace the EU’s normative identity. Drawing on constructivist discourse analysis, this thesis considers identity as discursively constructed. It examines EU official discourse on strategic autonomy through strategic documents and speeches issued by European institutions and representatives, using a systematic coding framework. The analysis traces the evolution of EU identity across two periods, before and after the war.
The findings show that, in the aftermath of the war, the EU’s representation as an international actor shifts toward a more geopolitical stance. At the same time, the protection and promotion of values and norms remain central for the Union, indicating that its normative identity persists. Importantly, the EU reaffirms both dimensions of its identity by constructing itself in relation to other international actors, specifically the United States and Russia. The thesis concludes that the EU uses strategic autonomy as a discursive concept through which it constructs itself as a geopolitical actor, while its normative identity is not replaced but becomes progressively integrated with its geopolitical identity. (Less)
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author
Basilio, Isabella LU
supervisor
organization
course
EUHR18 20261
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
European Union, Russia-Ukraine conflict, EU identity, strategic autonomy, geopolitics, European Studies
language
English
id
9250053
date added to LUP
2026-09-16 16:11:23
date last changed
2026-09-16 16:11:23
@misc{9250053,
  abstract     = {{The purpose of this thesis is to examine how the European Union uses strategic autonomy to construct its identity as an international actor and whether this identity has shifted in the wake of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is based on the hypothesis that a gradual reconstruction of identity toward a more geopolitical dimension does not replace the EU’s normative identity. Drawing on constructivist discourse analysis, this thesis considers identity as discursively constructed. It examines EU official discourse on strategic autonomy through strategic documents and speeches issued by European institutions and representatives, using a systematic coding framework. The analysis traces the evolution of EU identity across two periods, before and after the war.
The findings show that, in the aftermath of the war, the EU’s representation as an international actor shifts toward a more geopolitical stance. At the same time, the protection and promotion of values and norms remain central for the Union, indicating that its normative identity persists. Importantly, the EU reaffirms both dimensions of its identity by constructing itself in relation to other international actors, specifically the United States and Russia. The thesis concludes that the EU uses strategic autonomy as a discursive concept through which it constructs itself as a geopolitical actor, while its normative identity is not replaced but becomes progressively integrated with its geopolitical identity.}},
  author       = {{Basilio, Isabella}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Normative Power or Geopolitical Actor? The Construction of EU Identity in Official Discourse on Strategic Autonomy Before and After the War in Ukraine}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}