EU Geopolitical Leadership in Late Westphalian International Environment: Evolution of Normative Power Europe

The European Union (EU) is a disturbing entity of contemporary international relations. On the one hand, it is one of the most researched actors, with every aspect covered by research in the academic community. On the other, there is no coherent explanation as to what exactly it is, as its construction is an ongoing process. The main focus of this chapter is an analysis of the power of the EU, its nature, and the future development of this organization as a geopolitical leader. The basic framework for the study will be a notion created by Ian Manners, labeled as a Normative Power Europe (NPE), and an assessment of continuous attempts to convert it into state power, embracing complex elements, with military capabilities included. During research, three hypotheses will be drafted to answer the research question. First, EU power is evolving from a point of origin described as normative power by Manners toward fully fledged state-like power. Second, evolution is wrapped around paradox, which displays the potential to deny the desired outcome: the more successful it becomes, the more resistance it will encounter. The more resistance it encounters, the less effective the means that are a source of its success. The third hypotheses state that despite its tranquil nature, the evolution of EU institutions assumes eventual conflict between it and nation-states.