Normative Power Europe, Challenged at Home? : A discourse analysis exploring EU identity work in responding to the undemocratic turn in Hungary

Abstract: Through the conception of the EU as a normative power, scholars envisage moving beyond the traditional notion of power in international relations. Scholars have argued that this “new kind of political ethics” entails an expectation on political discourse to avoid antagonistic othering and for consistency between the internal and external dimensions of identity construction. By exploring the previously overlooked internal dimension of Normative Power Europe (NPE), in light of Hungary challenging the upholding of the EU’s founding values, this thesis investigates how EU representatives discursively manage differences “at home”. The discourse analysis identified a dominant pattern of antagonistic othering towards the Hungarian government, suggesting a dilemma in upholding EU values while complying with the expectation that being a “new kind of power” entails. The results further suggest that the internal dilemma has implications on the credibility of the EU as an actor in foreign policy. In studying the managing of internal differences, this thesis adds to previous NPE scholarship on how the EU, in addressing internal fallacies, could work as a “laboratory” and project credible normative power in international relations.