Geopolitics of the ArabSpring. The changes in EU external relations with Egypt

Table of Contents

1 The “Arab Spring” and the European Union

2 Literature Review

3 Methodology

4 The “Arab Spring” in Egypt

4.1 Timeline and actors

4.2 Causes

5 The EU’s External Relations

5.1 External Relations Policy Fields and Official Interests

5.2 The EU’s construction of the Mediterranean

6 EU external relations with Egypt

6.1 European External Relations with Egypt before the “Arab Spring”

6.1.1 Trade and economic policy

6.1.2 Foreign Policy and Diplomacy

6.1.3 Development Policy

6.1.4 Security Policy

6.1.4 Discussion

6.2 EU external relations with Egypt during the “Arab Spring”

6.2.1 Economic and Trade Policy

6.2.2 Foreign Policy

6.2.3 Development Policy

6.2.4 Security Policy

6.2.5 Discussion

6.3 EU external relations with Egypt after the “Arab Spring”

6.3.1 Economic Policy

6.3.2 Foreign Policy

6.3.3 Development Policy

6.3.4 Security Policy

6.3.5 Discussion

7 Reflexion

8 Conclusion

Research Objectives & Key Themes

This thesis examines the evolution of the European Union's external relations with Egypt across three distinct periods: before, during, and after the "Arab Spring." It investigates how the EU balanced its normative commitment to democracy promotion with its geopolitical interests in stability, security, and economic cooperation, specifically analyzing whether policy shifts reflected a genuine paradigm change or remained consistent with previous patterns of "Realpolitik."

• Evolution of EU-Egypt diplomatic and economic relations
• Impact of the "Arab Spring" on EU neighborhood policy
• Role of "grey literature" and quantitative data in tracking foreign policy shifts
• Tensions between democracy promotion and security-stability agendas
• The influence of migration and counter-terrorism on EU decision-making

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

1 The “Arab Spring” and the European Union: Provides an introduction to the Arab Spring and outlines the EU’s geographic, security, and economic interests in the Mediterranean region.

2 Literature Review: Situates the thesis within existing scholarly debates regarding the EU's role in the Mediterranean and identifies the research gap regarding long-term, data-driven analysis of EU-Egypt relations.

3 Methodology: Details the research approach, focusing on the analysis of scholarly literature and "grey literature" (trade data, financial aid, and arms deals) to assess policy changes.

4 The “Arab Spring” in Egypt: Offers essential background on the political developments, timeline, and causes of the Egyptian Revolution and the subsequent rise and fall of political actors.

5 The EU’s External Relations: Explains the institutional framework and policy fields (trade, foreign policy, development, security) that define the EU's external action.

6 EU external relations with Egypt: The core analysis chapter, subdivided into the three phases (before, during, and after) to track changes in policy across the defined dimensions.

7 Reflexion: A critical assessment of the methodology, validity, and limitations of the used data sets and qualitative sources.

8 Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, arguing that the EU consistently prioritized a "stability-security nexus" over democracy promotion throughout all three phases.

Keywords

Arab Spring, European Union, Egypt, External Relations, Security Policy, Democracy Promotion, Realpolitik, Mediterranean, Migration, Economic Cooperation, Foreign Policy, Arms Trade, Stability Partnership, Democratization, Geopolitics.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary focus of this thesis?

This work investigates how the European Union adjusted its external relations and foreign policy towards Egypt in response to the political upheavals of the Arab Spring and its aftermath.

What are the central thematic areas covered?

The study focuses on four key pillars of EU policy: trade and economic policy, foreign policy and diplomacy, development policy, and security policy.

What is the core research objective?

The objective is to determine if the EU's support for democratic transition was genuine or if it was subservient to broader strategic interests like regional stability and migration control.

Which methodology does the author utilize?

The author uses a dual approach: a literature review to contextualize the work and an empirical analysis of "grey literature," including trade volumes, financial aid data, and SIPRI arms trade indicators.

What constitutes the main body of the work?

The main part of the thesis is structured chronologically, analyzing EU policy towards Egypt before, during, and after the Arab Spring, with specialized chapters for different policy sectors in each phase.

Which keywords best characterize this research?

Key terms include Arab Spring, EU foreign policy, Egypt, Realpolitik, security-stability nexus, and democracy promotion.

Did the EU change its policy after the 2013 military coup?

The author concludes that while there was an initial phase of hesitation, the EU ultimately returned to "normal mode," prioritizing security and economic stability over criticizing the new authoritarian leadership.

How does the author interpret the EU's "more-for-more" approach?

The author suggests that the "more-for-more" approach largely failed to provide new incentives, essentially offering the same economic support that was already available under the Mubarak regime.