How to Revamp the EU’s Global Image

Katalin Cseh | 7th September 2021 | Uncategorised
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - JUNE 14: A NATO flag hangs from the Triumphal arch at Parc du Cinquantenaire on June 14, 2021 in Brussels, Belgium. World leaders convene in Brussels at the NATO headquarters for the 2021 summit. The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation was created in 1949 in military defence against the Soviet Union. (Photo by Jean-Christophe Guillaume/Getty Images)
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - JUNE 14: A NATO flag hangs from the Triumphal arch at Parc du Cinquantenaire on June 14, 2021 in Brussels, Belgium. World leaders convene in Brussels at the NATO headquarters for the 2021 summit. The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation was created in 1949 in military defence against the Soviet Union. (Photo by Jean-Christophe Guillaume/Getty Images)

Updating its policies on security and militarisation could dramatically improve the EU’s image - both internally and externally, says Katalin Cseh MEP.

This article is the sixth in a series of eight introducing the Liberal White Book: Europe 2030, the European Liberal Forum’s flagship publication highlighting the challenges that the EU faces and presenting a range of future policy options.  The European Union is frequently portrayed as an ageing international actor that is waning in both power and relevance. The seismic geopolitical power shifts that have occurred across world regions, some involving non-state actors, have only bolstered this unfavourable image and added to the considerable challenges facing the bloc. Such misconceptions about the EU are unnecessary and damaging - especially when the EU actually boasts a number of attributes which rank highly in comparison to those of other global players . On quality of life, for example, the EU still trumps most of the world. To maintain the bloc’s strong position and influence as a promoter of democracy, the EU must improve its global image. It can do so through gradually adapting ...

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