Comparison of the EU and US approach to Libya in the context of the Arab Spring

Mgr. Veronika ZICHOVÁ

Master's thesis

Abstract:

The Arab spring had unprecedented political impact on various regimes in the Arab world, questioning its legitimacy, stability and existence. This is also the case of Libya under the reign of Muammar Gaddafi who was killed during bloody civil war accompanied by the intervention of Western powers. This thesis compares the EU and USA approaches to-wards Libya in three distinctive periods: before, during and after the Arab spring. The position of key actors is interpreted in three different lenses of international relations the-ories, who are aimed at deeper understanding of foreign policies. Are they complementary, consistent or diverging? The analysis revealed that the foreign policies of the two actors were complementary at the beginning of the intervention. In fact, at the beginning there was cooperation between the states under the NATO banner. After the Arab Spring, the positions of the two actors began to diverge. The US started to stand aside and considered Libya as a problem for Europe. At present, the positions of the two actors are diverging and the stability of Libya is therefore not in sight.

Abstract:

The Arab spring had unprecedented political impact on various regimes in the Arab world, questioning its legitimacy, stability and existence. This is also the case of Libya under the reign of Muammar Gaddafi who was killed during bloody civil war accompa-nied by the intervention of Western powers. This thesis compares the EU and USA ap-proaches towards Libya in three distinctive periods: before, during and after the Arab spring. The position of key actors is interpreted in three different lenses of international relations theories, who are aimed at deeper understanding of foreign policies. Are they complementary, consistent or diverging? The analysis revealed that the foreign policies of the two actors were complementary at the beginning of the intervention. In fact, at the beginning there was cooperation between the states under the NATO banner. After the Arab Spring, the positions of the two actors began to diverge. The US started to stand aside and considered Libya as a problem for Europe. At present, the positions of the two actors are diverging and the stability of Libya is therefore not in sight.

Keywords

European Union, Libya, United States of America, Muammar Gaddafi, Arab Spring

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 24. 11. 2022

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: Mgr. et Mgr. Ondřej Filipec, Ph.D.

Palacký University Olomouc

Faculty of Law

Master programme / field:
Political Science / European Studies Focusing on European Law