After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, multiple Eastern European countries found a sense of safety in becoming member states of the European Union (EU). While this ensured a novel form of...Show moreAfter the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, multiple Eastern European countries found a sense of safety in becoming member states of the European Union (EU). While this ensured a novel form of European unification, this process also caused division, as the EU’s interests do not always align with those of its member states. Whereas the EU has a certain mission, its attempts to unify the European continent result in various forms of conflict, as focusing on supranational matters leaves room for domestic issues to exist and escalate. This thesis examines the identity struggle of the EU that results from the conservative EU member state Poland not conforming to the EU’s constructed role of protector for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) individuals. This thesis aims to explore the effect of the EU’s LGBT Rights Aspirations on the Position of Poland as an internal ‘Other’. By recognizing the EU as a normative power and by using the concept of the relational Self/Other binary as part of the Othering process, it looks into the interrelationship between the EU and Poland, regarding the overarching theme of LGBT equality. A case study on the documentary ‘Invasion’, as part of the 2019 election campaign in Poland, is used to observe how Poland’s leading political party sees the LGBT community as an Other, combining this view with the supranational normative power that the EU imposes on its member states regarding LGBT rights. Additionally, the thesis addresses how the notion of the EU as a collective LGBT-friendly Self positions conservative Poland as an Other within EU borders.Show less
The thesis examines the effects on the EU’s normative power on the ratification of the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment with China. The analysis applies a social constructivist framework to...Show moreThe thesis examines the effects on the EU’s normative power on the ratification of the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment with China. The analysis applies a social constructivist framework to test whether there are causal links between the EU’s commitment to its core norms and values and the stagnating ratification of the CAI in light of human rights violations in China. The research aims to answer to the question: What explains the lack of consensus over the ratification of the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment with China? Using process tracing, the thesis examines the Human Rights Dialogue, China’s Compliance with International Human Rights Law, sanctions and the EU’s Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime as causal mechanisms. The thesis concludes that the EU’s normative power has been one of the key reasons behind that the fact the CAI has not yet been ratified.Show less
