Silences and hierarchies in European Union Public Diplomacy

Abstract

• Este é um artigo publicado em acesso aberto e distribuído sob os termos da Licença de Atribuição Creative Commons, que permite uso irrestrito, distribuição e reprodução em qualquer meio, desde que o autor e a fonte originais sejam creditados. Abstract This article analyzes the effects of European Union Public Diplomacy (EUPD) discourses, drawing on poststructuralist approaches, which emphasize the productive dimension of discourse. We argue that EUPD helps reproduce a hierarchized identity of the EU, which authorizes particular courses of action while limiting others. Through an analysis of EUPD documents, we identify three descriptors-"EU as a zone of peace, prosperity and democracy"; "United in Diversity"; and "EU as a model"-which, together, form a meaningful narrative about EU's identity, infused with moral superiority, and constitute a dominant discourse with political effects internally and externally.