Evropská unie a Středomoří

This monograph analyzes the development of the Euro-Mediterranean policy from 2006 to the present day. It examines recently established institutions such as the Union for the Mediterranean, the European Neighbourhood Policy, changes in the institutional setting of the European foreign policy after the adoption of the Treaty of Lisbon, and finally, also the EU’s reaction to the Arab Spring and current economic crisis, which has significantly affected foreign relations. Based on theoretical specifications, when on the one hand the EU presents itself as a normative player (based on constructivist approaches), while on the other hand it follows its realistic interests, this work comes to the conclusion that the dilemma between the normative rhetoric and realistic pursuit of interests creates a European Union foreign policy that is considered inefficient and unreliable in the Mediterranean. The text subsequently analyzes and compares the approaches of France and Spain (whose interests pertain to the Mediterranean), which contribute to the creation and application of EU foreign policy in the region. Through the application of the Europeanization concept, the scholar arrives at the conclusion that despite the uniformly defined interests, different strategies are employed on the European level, which in turn can ensure an influential status in European institutions for a member state (in this case for Spain, in conjunction with a powerful France).