Diplomacy And the International System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Diplomacy And the International System - Essay Example On the one hand, it was implied that the global process of regionalism had to take Europe as a model and as an outcome. On the other hand, regionalism in itself came to be considered a political project, and regional integration around the world was viewed as a desirable and ‘good’ outcome to complement and support global governance.† + Luk Van Langenhove & Daniele Marchesi (2008), Lisbon Treaty and the Emergence of Third Generation Regional Integration, As the changes required by the Lisbon Treaty are currently being implemented by the EU, the essay will first discuss the new relationships of foreign policy decision making articulated in the treaty with reference to the historical context. Particularly, this method will explore the conflict of relations between a nation’s foreign policy as defined by domestic goals, the requirements of other treaty and charter-based organizations such as NATO and the UN, and the new EU foreign policy structure based on unan imity. The requirements of unanimous decisions in foreign policy will be further discussed in relation to dissent, and the way dissenting states can use their influence in EU foreign policy decision-making to influence or change policy. The essay will provide evidence from research built from historical documents and official statements of political leaders in order to review the practical application of policy in the EU foreign policy decision-making process. III. Cohesion in EU Foreign Policy after the Lisbon Treaty The first aspect to consider in reviewing the effect of the Lisbon Treaty on an integrated EU foreign policy based on consensus and unanimity is how the new accord relates to the Treaty of Maastricht, the Treaty of Nice, the Treaty of Rome, and other fundamental accords of... This essay approves that it is significant that the Treaty of Lisbon requires the unanimous decision of EU member states in undertaking foreign policy decisions and that all use of military force be equally approved by consensus. This acts as a fundamental limit to power in EU authority, and forces the building of community around core European secular values such as democracy, freedom, elections, human rights, and others that represent the best of the evolutionary thought of these nations’ collective history. The Treaty preserves the right of member nations to dissent, but the â€Å"newness† of the Lisbon Treaty makes it less certain as to date how this will influence the policy decisions and actions taken by the EU. This report makes a conclusion that the positioning of the shared values of European history as the rationale behind a progressive and safeguarding form of international government in foreign policy has a wider popular understanding and political support in the grass roots than is commonly assumed, and in this manner, the EU may actually be representative of a wider movement in history rather than a top-down, technocratic imposition. The real test of the union is found in situations where nations like Germany are forced to submit to and accept policies that go against their national state interest in favor of the larger interest of maintaining the progress of European unity, as in the recent financial crises. However, domestic political interests may prohibit the efficient use of EU military power in the future in ways unforeseen by current analysis, forcing the EU leadership into only accepting policy positions with broad consensus, a position well suited for a limited supra-nationa l government in guardianship of the civil rights of society.