Since 2014, Europe has faced an explosive increase in migrants, leading Europe into a migration crisis. Political parties in European countries have responded differently to this influx of people....Show moreSince 2014, Europe has faced an explosive increase in migrants, leading Europe into a migration crisis. Political parties in European countries have responded differently to this influx of people. This study aims to clarify the relationship between the agenda of these political parties and the European migration crisis. Based on qualitative research, a content analysis was used to study the differences between left-wing, right-wing and centre-parties and how the European migration crisis has impacted these points of view. The analysis shows that political parties with different ideologies about migration react differently to the crisis. The European migration crisis has little to no effect on the agenda of left-wing parties and right-wing parties, but a major effect on the agendas of centre-parties.Show less
This thesis analyses the effects shared norms with a country under attack have on NATO support in member states. One of the biggest challenges NATO faces, is how to avoid free riding. This makes...Show moreThis thesis analyses the effects shared norms with a country under attack have on NATO support in member states. One of the biggest challenges NATO faces, is how to avoid free riding. This makes studying the potential incentives states have for increasing NATO support essential. Past research has studied several potential material and non material incentives but has not investigated the effects shared norms with a conflict may have on NATO support. To conduct this research, a discourse analysis of the frames used parliamentary debates in the Netherlands on the Russia Ukraine war was done. The analysis revealed that although shared norms were used to frame NATO and the conflict quite often, threat perception was the most used frame.Show less
The behavior of states within the international system is an ever-evolving subject that International Relations (IR) scholars tirelessly study to uncover hidden meanings and motives. These findings...Show moreThe behavior of states within the international system is an ever-evolving subject that International Relations (IR) scholars tirelessly study to uncover hidden meanings and motives. These findings may later assist in solving security dilemmas, territorial disputes, and other forms of interstate conflict. Normative policy is a crucial element in studying state behavior, with significant focus on the European Union (EU), which considers itself a standard-bearer in this field. However, how does the EU behave normatively towards other nations, and does this behavior change when a nation's form of government changes? This field of study can be instrumental in mapping out the EU’s true normative power in relation to discourse, necessitating the examination of individual case studies. In this study, we examine the EU’s normative relationship with the Republic of India, which transitioned from a more idealist government to a more realist government in 2014 under the leadership of Narendra Modi. We analyzed both the Joint Statements released by the EU and India, as well as the speeches delivered by the High Representatives of the EU. Our findings indicate that the High Representatives have held the Indian government accountable much more frequently after 2014 than before. The Joint Statements reveal that summits have decreased in frequency over the years, although the normative topics have remained unchanged. However, the emphasis on trade and security has overshadowed normative discussions throughout this period.Show less
The EU is a leader on the international stage in peacekeeping, conflict prevention, and strengthening international security. An important tool used by the EU for this purpose are the Common...Show moreThe EU is a leader on the international stage in peacekeeping, conflict prevention, and strengthening international security. An important tool used by the EU for this purpose are the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions. However, it is not clear whether these missions are effective since there is no consensus in the academic literature on this. The trend among most scholars is negative, but others argue that there are signs for optimism. These differences arise, among other things, from the different perspectives that can be held, namely that of the implementer or the receiver. In the academic literature there is more harmony when it comes to which factors influence the effectiveness of missions. Of these, The level of local ownership, sensitivity to unique local dynamics, the amount of budget, the unity of actors, and the level of human capacity stand out. The European Union Advisory Mission in Ukraine and the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia are two CSDP missions with a very different approach but with a comparable international context for the European Union. The former is focused on reforming the security sector, where the latter has been implemented with the aim of not allowing hostilities to recur. Both Ukraine and Georgia are active in the Eastern Partnership of the European Union and have a so-called Association Agreement with the EU. According to the literature, the latter can contribute as leverage to the success of a mission. In addition, both countries have a similar geostrategic position and have to deal with the same external threat, namely Russia. Based on the analysis of these two missions, it is not possible to give a generalised answer to the question of how effective CSDP missions are. However, it has emerged that the EUMM in Georgia was a considerable success and has proven to be more effective than the EUAM in Ukraine, which has not had major successes. These contradictory results show that CSDP missions should not be levelled out in advance when it comes to Effectiveness. The results of the analysis also show that the level of local ownership, sensitivity to unique local dynamics, and the unity of actors in particular influenced the degree of effectiveness of the missions. In addition, this analysis indicates that mission effectiveness and local perception of effectiveness are not related to the attitude of the local population towards the European Union. This may have implications for the academic literature that claims this is the case, but more research is needed to confirm this. In addition, this research has shown that both missions are unable to improve the level of democracy in the host states, which decreased significantly in both cases. This creates a practical implication for the European Union when implementing CSDP missions in the future.Show less
Het India-Pakistan conflict is een van de langstlopende conflicten in de periode na de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Een van de factoren die invloed heeft op dit soort rivaliteitsconflicten is het...Show moreHet India-Pakistan conflict is een van de langstlopende conflicten in de periode na de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Een van de factoren die invloed heeft op dit soort rivaliteitsconflicten is het regimetype van de betrokken landen. In 2008 heeft zich in Pakistan een proces van democratisering plaatsgevonden. In de literatuur is geen eenduidigheid over de mogelijke invloed van een dergelijk proces. In dit onderzoek wordt met een analyse van interviews met politieke leiders gekeken of deze democratisering invloed heeft gehad op de manier hoe Pakistan en India zich tot elkaar verhouden. In lijn met de verwachtingen van de democratic peace theory stelt dit onderzoek dat de democratisering van Pakistan een de-escalerende werking op het conflict heeft gehad.Show less
This paper has researched the extent of impartiality of the ICC in determining their investigations. The justifications behind the cases of Iraq/UK and Afghanistan/US were explored, to find out how...Show moreThis paper has researched the extent of impartiality of the ICC in determining their investigations. The justifications behind the cases of Iraq/UK and Afghanistan/US were explored, to find out how the ICC reached the decision to stop investigating the UK and to leave out the US in their examination. This has been done with a discourse analysis, based on the theoretical distinction of an ethics of conviction and an ethics of responsibility. This analysis has shown that in the case of Iraq, the ICC referred more to the rule of law and legal criteria, where in the case of Afghanistan the discourse included both signs of impartiality, but also signs that practical and political considerations played a role. This thesis thus concludes that the extent of impartiality in the case of Iraq was higher than that in Afghanistan.Show less
