Editing Civilian Power

The notion of civilian power emerged in the 1970s to define Europe’s changing role in the international system. François Duchêne, an adviser to Jean Monnet, one of the major forces behind European unification, described the EU as an entity committed to protecting its national interests through economic, political, and cultural cooperation as opposed to the use of military force. In this context, “civilian power” means the extent to which a nation’s foreign and domestic policies are focused on strengthening human rights, democracy, and rule of law, as well as maintaining peacebuilding efforts through international cooperation. The concept is closely related to “soft power” as there is great emphasis on the role of non-state actors and the ability of nations to overcome international conflicts through [[integration]] and interdependence.