Indian Elites and the EU as a Normative Power

Abstract

Drawing on 30 face-to-face interviews with Indian business, civil society, media and political elites during the period September 2011 to April 2012, this analysis seeks to examine the perceptions of Indian elites of the European Union as a normative power. It discusses the evolution of the concept of normative power and the evolution of the EU’s normative identity. The article seeks to highlight the diverse external perceptions about the normative power of EU by focusing upon the elite opinion from India. The article captures the changing mood of the elites about the effectiveness of the normative power of the EU with the intensification of the Eurozone crisis. It argues that the normative disconnect in world-views, mindsets and practical agendas between India and the European Union has made it difficult to transform shared values into coordinated policies.