Opinion Corner 3 - introduction
Welcome to the third edition of Opinion Corner, which looks at how the rest of the world views the European Union.
Until the early 1990s the EU did not have to worry about its global image because it had no formal foreign policy to speak of and the EU was not considered a world power.
In the last decade, however, the EU has burst onto the world stage. It has sent troops to keep the peace in almost a dozen countries, has become the world’s biggest economic power, trading bloc and aid donor and plays a major role in most global hotspots. But have these extra powers bought extra global influence? And has more action on the world stage translated into a better image for the European Union?
As the EU’s first ‘foreign minister’ sets up shop, a truly European diplomatic service is slowly forged and European leaders squabble over who will answer the call from the White House, we felt it was the perfect time to ask:
-Is the EU a brand? If so, what image does it conjure up?
-Is the EU seen in a positive or negative light?
-Is it clear what the EU is, does and stands for in the world?
-What can the EU do to improve its image abroad?
We put these, and other, questions to experts in Russia, Turkey and the United States and ordinary citizens in Burkina Faso, China, Egypt and Mexico. We also drew on interviews with commentators in London and Brussels. We hope you will find their responses interesting.
Gareth Harding, Opinion Corner Editor
Until the early 1990s the EU did not have to worry about its global image because it had no formal foreign policy to speak of and the EU was not considered a world power.
In the last decade, however, the EU has burst onto the world stage. It has sent troops to keep the peace in almost a dozen countries, has become the world’s biggest economic power, trading bloc and aid donor and plays a major role in most global hotspots. But have these extra powers bought extra global influence? And has more action on the world stage translated into a better image for the European Union?
As the EU’s first ‘foreign minister’ sets up shop, a truly European diplomatic service is slowly forged and European leaders squabble over who will answer the call from the White House, we felt it was the perfect time to ask:
-Is the EU a brand? If so, what image does it conjure up?
-Is the EU seen in a positive or negative light?
-Is it clear what the EU is, does and stands for in the world?
-What can the EU do to improve its image abroad?
We put these, and other, questions to experts in Russia, Turkey and the United States and ordinary citizens in Burkina Faso, China, Egypt and Mexico. We also drew on interviews with commentators in London and Brussels. We hope you will find their responses interesting.
Gareth Harding, Opinion Corner Editor