EU-STRAT’s first policy brief has been published! You can find it here. The policy brief deals with the EU’s communication with Eastern Partnership countries. These are the main conclusions:
(1) The EU’s communications clearly reflect the different modes of cooperation with the EaP countries. The EU communicates as a transformative power where cooperation with EaP countries is based on AAs and DCFTAs and has therefore a transformational purpose. The EU communicates as a normative power where democracy and human rights are critically at stake, as in the case of Belarus.
(2) The most positive coverage of the EU is on Moldovan TV channels. Russia is, predictably, covered in a more positive light than the EU in Belarusian TV and main news programmes. Coverage in Ukraine, however, is not only (understandably) negative about Russia, but also rather mixed regarding the EU.
(3) EU member states receive substantial attention in EaP countries; demonstrated in that the amount of coverage exceeds even that of Russia. However, this does not mean that the EU’s assistance and policies are well covered or explained.
For background on these conclusions, read the full text of the policy brief.