IS THE EUROPEAN UNION CONSIDERED A SUPER POWER
IS THE EUROPEAN UNION CONSIDERED A SUPER POWER
Introduction
Superpower status is considered by various states as a representation of their global influence and power. However, as a result of the international system ever-transforming dynamics, superpower status is not static rather dynamic, the reason they countries that consider themselves superpowers can be destroyed easily. For instance, the Soviet Union and the British Empire are examples of Superpowers that declined after enjoying decades as global leaders in clout and supremacy. The European Union is also considered a second superpower after the United States because of its unique attributes such as vast population, enormous commercial power, and considerable political influence. With these unique instruments, the European Union can address some dangerous crisis in the globe, hence its superpower status.
William T. R. Fox defines a superpower, during the WWII, as a state that has political, economic and military power, and is equally willing and capable of projecting this power internationally in the pursuance of worldwide interests. Equally, a superpower can be defined as a union of nations with the power to take action decisively with the goal of pursuing interests that the whole world embraces. Furthermore, self-reliance, military capability in security issues as well as the willingness to defend interests violently is among the main characteristics of a superpower. From the above definitions the European Union is a superpower with measurable, observable, and explicit power. Apart from America, Europe is the lone expanse in the world that can exert international influence across the whole spectrum of power from soft to hard. Equally, Europe as a region is capable of projecting intercontinental military supremacy. Moreover, European states possess various operational civilian instruments that it uses to project international influence. These instruments include: European Union expansion, neighborhood policy, foreign aid, trade, support for international law and multilateral institutions and European values. Equally, after the cold war the international system has grown to be more democratic, networked, interdependent and free from obvious ideological difference. Hence, Europe’s distinctive tools of influence are now more efficient, resulting to a growth in European Power.
The Economy
Equally, the economic prowess of Brussels serves as the basis of European Union’s power in the global arena. Similarly, the Brussels’ compass of influence includes 80 countries that are equal to nearly one third of the globe’s population.These states are connected to the European Union through foreign investment or aid, trade and various issues of global interest like globalization. Additionally, the European Union has got the world’s biggest market and it is the world’s biggest trading power, thus becoming a world’s regulatory superpower. Moreover, the euro which was designed as a political act to challenge the hegemony of the dollar has eventually grown to become a second worldwide currency. Moravcsik asserts that the only economy that is equal to that of America is European Union’s economy. As such, in matters that encompass economics there exits only two superpowers in the world: the European Union and America. Additionally, the European Union economic prowess makes it to have some influence over various global organizations like WTO and the UN. Furthermore, America is wasting its power by not recognizing the military devaluation and the increasing significance of economic power. As such, Europe’s power in world politics is enhanced by America’s decline in military power and economic prowess. Therefore, in investment and trade affairs, Europe is an international economic superpower bigger than America and extremely ahead of states like India or China.
The Military
The absence of a military in EU is frequently mentioned as the major factor holding it the organization back from becoming an ultimate world power. Equally, there are various possible benefits for a Europe that is military powered thus increasing its potential of achieving the status of a superpower. However, it is argued that by constituting a military the EU will completely alter its dynamics in a negative way. Hence, it may lose its exceptional status as an ethical and a normative global actor and such a move may create a great risk to its position in world politics. Additionally, the European Union has reached its current position in global politics because of it offers enormous amounts of development and humanitarian assistance.
Neo-conservative theorists assert that the European Union does not qualify to be a superpower because of its preference for normative, civilian and soft power. What neo-conservatisms fails to understand is that in the current world, a significant military force is only achieved by states with technological sophistication, long legacy of spending in the military and a high per capita income. Hence, European Union spends more than 21 percent in the military; they equip forces and use them. Thus, European countries have had over 50,000 troops posted in combat duties outside their states in past decade. Critics argue that European Union did not do enough in Afghanistan and Iraq yet from the 24 allied states, 21 states are from Europe. Nonetheless, European Union is still involved in peacekeeping operations and military interventions for instance Europe was in Chad, Lebanon, and Sierra Leone.
Realist and Liberals Views Regarding European Union as a Global Power
Realists believe that the European Union began as a very successful and ambitious international organization as it pioneered official practices far in advance. Equally, realists assert that the E.U had no military buildup but it has unambiguously established itself as one of world’s military authority, with active combat troops all over the globe. Moreover, European Union’s military operations are conducted virtually wholly in close collaboration with the US. However, according to realists there has not been any military cooperation or balancing alliance between China and the European Union. Instead, they argue that Europe and America have closer ties (the crisis in Iraq constituting the lone major exception). Meanwhile, using of the civilian influence by the EU as a distinctive tool has grown in utility compared to the tough military power. However, realist failed to look into the significance of various international issues like international law, institutions of influence and globalization. Hence, liberalists analyze international relations by emphasizing on the different underlying state preferences or national interests that country’s bring to global politics.
Liberals analyze international issues that are spread from society to policy makers via globalization, societal interdependence and domestic politics. According to liberals these different social pressures are the significant cause of the behavior of foreign policy. They further argue that the view of power by realists whereby global influence is based on population and collective national income that feed into military spending and mobilization is not central to the current issues in global politics. Thus, liberals assert that global power rests on various kinds of civilian power like per capita revenues that are high, central position in trade, migration, and investment networks. Similarly, a global power must play a significant role in various global institutions and must attract political and social values across the world. As such, European Union has got various operational civilian instruments that it uses to project international influence.
Conclusively, there are two major superpowers in the world: Europe and the United States. However, other superpowers such as India and China are slowly emerging. Europe and the United States as two major international actors are in a position to apply both soft and hard power to solve the crisis in other states across the world. European countries, for instance, exhibits a variety of civilian tools for global influence, and no other countries match these instruments. However, the European Union has faced numerous challenges such as the Euro crisis which jeopardizes its position as the second world superpower. Additionally, the emerging of other superpowers such as India and China poses a threat to the European position in the world. Regardless, the European Union remains an influential actor in global affairs.
Bibliography
Calleo, David P. "Power, Wealth and Wisdom: The United States and Europe after Iraq." AllBusiness.com: The National Interest. http://www.allbusiness.com/government/3584089-1.html [Accessed April,2015]
Kagan, Robert. Of Paradise and Power: America and Europe in the New World Order. New York: Vintage Books, 2004.
Moravcsik, Andrew.” Europe, the Second Superpower,” Journal of Contemporary World Affairs: 91-98
