Norm Contestation in EU Foreign Policy: The Case of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

Abstract

The EU considers gender equality fundamental to its identity, with Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) playing a crucial role. This article delves into the contested aspects of EU foreign policy concerning SRHR from 1997 to 2021. Through document analysis and 18 semi‐structured interviews, it discerns three phases of contestation. Between 1997 and 2017, contestation was institutionalised within the EU, and the norm was reinforced. However, from 2017 to 2020, validity contestation arose as Hungary, Poland and the United States formed an alliance opposing SRHR, resulting in their symbolic exclusion from the EU's normative community. In 2021, within a less polarised international context (with the United States returning to consensus on SRHR), Hungary and Poland reaffirmed their commitment to the EU's SRHR consensus, highlighting the resilience of the norm.