Restrictive Measures as a Tool of Foreign Policy: The Case of European Sanctions in Belarus

Belarus has been, since August 2020, prone to sanctions by the European Union (EU). Sanctions are, as defined by the EU, an essential tool within the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) to protect the norms established by the EU (EEAS (2023). European Union Sanctions. Available at: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/european-union-sanctions_en (accessed 29 September 2023).). Following the premises of Normative Power Europe (NPE), norms constitute the vector of the European international influence when they circulate beyond the European space and shape the conception of what is normal. By the same token, sanctions then oblige third countries to accept this newly constructed normality. And while sanctions were long solely targeted to the authorities and individuals who established the malicious policies, targeted sanctions, the rationale of the EU has shifted since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. This shift seems to support the idea that the EU is distancing itself from the rationale of NPE. This chapter seeks to understand to what extent sanctions are recognized as a tool for the EU to foster its international actorness through a case study of Belarus, while identifying the strengths and weaknesses of restrictive measures in foreign policy. Moreover, the chapter argues that, currently, sanctions exceed the normative commitments of the EU in favor of its economic and security interests.