The European Union and the Egyptian Neighbour: Assessing the Characterization of Resilience as an External Action Priority

Abstract

espanolEl concepto de resiliencia capto el interes de la academia y penetro en un numero progresivo y transversal de disciplinas a lo largo de la segunda mitad del siglo XX. Apoyandose sobre la flexibilidad epistemologica, la redefinicion implicita de la agencia y la inclusion de los parametros de incertidumbre e inevitabilidad de la crisis en su seno, las areas de Relaciones Internacionales y diseno de politica exterior no tardaron en posar su atencion sobre su alcance y operacionalizacion. Tampoco es de extranar que la Union Europea, imbuida en una revision integral de los defectos y carestias de su estrategia exterior, acogiera el termino con afan de apuntalar el puente paradigmatico que tiende el llamado pragmatismo con principios. Ahora bien, la promocion de la resiliencia puede apuntar a los estados o a las sociedades, y en este sentido, de acuerdo con la logica pro-democratica de la UE, la naturaleza autoritaria del regimen de Egipto exigiria una priorizacion de aquella segunda dimension. Este articulo pretende ofrecer un repaso ligero de los enfoques de politica exterior de la Union vis-a-vis Egipto, una guia a lo largo de la Politica (o Instrumento) Europea de Vecindad, y procurara resolver en terminos cuantitativos que tipo de resiliencia situa la Union en primera linea. A modo de conclusion, se ordenara una serie de recomendaciones para la estrategia de resiliencia de la UE EnglishThe concept of resilience acquired academic momentum and pervaded a growing number of crosscutting disciplines along the second half of the twentieth century. Drawing on its epistemological flexibility, its implicit redefinition of agency and the inclusion of the parameters of uncertainty and the inevitability of crisis in its very core, it did not take long until the fields of International Relations and foreign policy-making paid thorough attention to its potential outreach and operationalization. Nor it is surprising that the European Union, imbued in a comprehensive review of its external strategy’s flaws and shortages, embraced the term as a means to underpin the paradigmatic bridge laid by the guidance of principled pragmatism. Yet, resilience-fostering can point at states or societies, and the authoritarian nature of Egypt’s regime compels to prioritize the latter, in accordance to EU’s democratic stance. The current paper will offer a brief review of EU foreign-policy approaches vis-a-vis Egypt, an European Neighbourhood Policy/Instrument walkthrough and it will aim at putting in quantitative terms what kind of resilience is the Union placing at the forefront. To conclude, a series of recommendations will be formulated for EU resilience strategy