Putting Humpty-Dumpty Together Again?

Trends and Issues of Efficacy in Multilateralism

Resumo

Multilateralism has for a long time had its paladins. For one, the EU has of late been at the forefront of its defense – namely as a tribute to its own “soft power”and as an expression of ideals such as that of the creation of an institution and rule-based international system. This has come about even as international political processes give no clear support to the claim that these are achievable aims and absent any sustained evidence of success for EU’s soft power approaches. Perhaps not surprisingly, the EU has lately begun theorizing conditions for institutionalizing an “effective multilateralism” – the suggestion being that, if duly engaged in, multilateralism may indeed come to work to task. By means of three examples and a thought experiment, such claims are critically evaluated. The focus is placed on three processes –engagement with sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East Peace Process, and EuroMed – and various corrective moves through means of which the EU is vying for more “effective” multilateral approaches. The discussion is placed in the context of both effi cacy and legitimacy.