The European Union as a normative power: A response to Thomas Diez

In his recent article in Millennium 33, no. 3 (2005), Thomas Diez's reconsideration of the Normative Power (NP) thesis raises a number. of important questions about the European Union (EU) as a normative power in world politics. His article critically problematises NP and calls for 'a greater degree of self-reflexivity' in discussions and representations of the EU as a NP. This response to Diez's article will develop the thesis of the EU as an NP by primarily addressing his main argument that: 'the EU is not the first normative power, and self/other practices... can be observed in other historical instances, notably the United States' and his two minor arguments: that 'the concept of 'normative power', rather than being distinct from 'civilian power', is already embedded in the latter'; and 'the discourse on 'normative power Europe' is an important practice of European identity construction'. It will be argued that the EU as an NP is different from great powers and distinctive from civilian power. But Diez's reconsideration does raise a number of interesting questions of the EU selves in both lothering' practices and reflexivity.