Inhumane, Nationalistic, and for Sure European: A Critical Discourse Analysis of the EU’s Humanitarian-Security Paradox & a Normative Power in Crisis
(2025) STVM23 20251Department of Political Science
- Abstract
- The European Union’s identity as a normative power has long been examined and contested, most famously by Ian Manners' conceptualization in his 2002 work, Normative Power Europe. This study critically reassesses the EU's proposed identity through the lens of its responses to two pivotal crises: the Syrian conflict (2012-2015) and the 2016 EU-Türkiye Refugee Deal. The research interrogates how EU institutions framed these crises in official public rhetoric, policy documents, and high-level statements by employing critical discourse
analysis.
The study uncovers a discursive evolution from humanitarian ideal to securitization and transactional conditionality. Early Syrian crisis discourse emphasised moral obligations, but gradually... (More) - The European Union’s identity as a normative power has long been examined and contested, most famously by Ian Manners' conceptualization in his 2002 work, Normative Power Europe. This study critically reassesses the EU's proposed identity through the lens of its responses to two pivotal crises: the Syrian conflict (2012-2015) and the 2016 EU-Türkiye Refugee Deal. The research interrogates how EU institutions framed these crises in official public rhetoric, policy documents, and high-level statements by employing critical discourse
analysis.
The study uncovers a discursive evolution from humanitarian ideal to securitization and transactional conditionality. Early Syrian crisis discourse emphasised moral obligations, but gradually shifted towards securitised language, reflecting a prioritisation of border control over protection principles. The EU-Türkiye deal epitomized this tension as it adapted normative rhetoric to legitimize containment policies. Notably, the findings expose racialized
and Orientalist undertones in EU discourse, framing Türkiye as an irrational "Other" and Syrians as passive victims or threats, reinforcing colonial hierarchies.
By challenging the optimistic NPE framework, the study argues that the EU’s normative identity can come across as performative, as it is constructed through discourse but routinely compromised in practice. It identifies race and civilizational hierarchies as blind spots in NPE theory, demonstrating how the EU’s norms are selectively applied to uphold geopolitical interests. The findings call for a revised NPE model that accounts for racialized power dynamics and the EU’s contested role as a global actor. Ultimately, the study underscores the paradox of a "normative power" that champions universal values while reproducing exclusionary practices, urging an assessment of the EU’s structural contradictions. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9189414
- author
- Ali, Areeba LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- STVM23 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Critical Discourse Analysis, Normative Power Europe, Syria, Türkiye, European Union
- language
- English
- id
- 9189414
- date added to LUP
- 2025-08-08 11:37:35
- date last changed
- 2025-08-08 11:37:35
@misc{9189414,
abstract = {{The European Union’s identity as a normative power has long been examined and contested, most famously by Ian Manners' conceptualization in his 2002 work, Normative Power Europe. This study critically reassesses the EU's proposed identity through the lens of its responses to two pivotal crises: the Syrian conflict (2012-2015) and the 2016 EU-Türkiye Refugee Deal. The research interrogates how EU institutions framed these crises in official public rhetoric, policy documents, and high-level statements by employing critical discourse
analysis.
The study uncovers a discursive evolution from humanitarian ideal to securitization and transactional conditionality. Early Syrian crisis discourse emphasised moral obligations, but gradually shifted towards securitised language, reflecting a prioritisation of border control over protection principles. The EU-Türkiye deal epitomized this tension as it adapted normative rhetoric to legitimize containment policies. Notably, the findings expose racialized
and Orientalist undertones in EU discourse, framing Türkiye as an irrational "Other" and Syrians as passive victims or threats, reinforcing colonial hierarchies.
By challenging the optimistic NPE framework, the study argues that the EU’s normative identity can come across as performative, as it is constructed through discourse but routinely compromised in practice. It identifies race and civilizational hierarchies as blind spots in NPE theory, demonstrating how the EU’s norms are selectively applied to uphold geopolitical interests. The findings call for a revised NPE model that accounts for racialized power dynamics and the EU’s contested role as a global actor. Ultimately, the study underscores the paradox of a "normative power" that champions universal values while reproducing exclusionary practices, urging an assessment of the EU’s structural contradictions.}},
author = {{Ali, Areeba}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Inhumane, Nationalistic, and for Sure European: A Critical Discourse Analysis of the EU’s Humanitarian-Security Paradox & a Normative Power in Crisis}},
year = {{2025}},
}