IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/vrs/bjeust/v3y2013i3p153-174n8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

New Zealand Elite Perceptions on the EU: A Longitudinal Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Kelly Serena

    (National Centre for Research on Europe, University of Canterbury Kirkwood Village KD04, Christchurch, New Zealand)

Abstract

Since the end of the cold war, the European Union’s (EU’s) global aspirations and capabilities have grown. This shift has seen the EU becoming an increasingly integral part of the international arena, both economically and politically. However, there has been a notable geopolitical shift in recent years towards the growing importance of Asia. New Zealand, geographically distant but traditionally culturally aligned with the EU, the nation that has traditionally enjoyed close economic, political and social relations with the EU but is increasingly focused on Asia, presents a unique perspective on this perceived realignment of power. This paper offers a unique perspective on the effectiveness of the EU’s international outreach. Using international relations’ ‘small state theory’ as an analytical tool, the paper draws on a series of longitudinal elite interviews conducted with New Zealand’s political, economic, civil society and media elites over a decade. The paper qualitatively and quantitatively assesses whether the EU remains perceived as a relevant, important global actor in the eyes of New Zealand’s elite. The paper makes a number of observations. Firstly, as a small state, New Zealand’s foreign policy focus has tended to be preoccupied with economics and this preoccupation has meant a notable shift away from Europe. Second, although over the course of the interviews negative discussions about the EU’s Common Agriculture Policy decreased, on the other hand there was increasingly less discussion about the EU’s potential and a more concerted discussion about the importance of Asia to the New Zealand’s economy and future. There are a number of reasons to account for this changing perception towards the EU,however, the internal friction currently facing the European Union and eurozone was consistently noted. Finally, although over time the interviewed elites believed that the EU’s importance is diminishing, this acknowledgement was often made with regret.

Suggested Citation

  • Kelly Serena, 2013. "New Zealand Elite Perceptions on the EU: A Longitudinal Analysis," TalTech Journal of European Studies, Sciendo, vol. 3(3), pages 153-174, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:vrs:bjeust:v:3:y:2013:i:3:p:153-174:n:8
    DOI: 10.2478/bjes-2013-0025
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.2478/bjes-2013-0025
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.2478/bjes-2013-0025?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kahler, Miles, 1992. "Multilateralism with small and large numbers," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 46(3), pages 681-708, July.
    2. Oecd, 2005. "Multilateral Agreements," Nuclear Law Bulletin, OECD Publishing, vol. 2005(1), pages 137-140.
    3. Sinn Hans-Werner, 2000. "EU Enlargement, Migration, and Lessons from German Unification," German Economic Review, De Gruyter, vol. 1(3), pages 299-314, August.
    4. Oecd, 2005. "Multilevel Regulatory Governance," OECD Papers, OECD Publishing, vol. 5(2), pages 1-84.
    5. Ocde, 2005. "Accords multilatéraux," Bulletin de droit nucléaire, Éditions OCDE, vol. 2005(1), pages 147-150.
    6. Oecd, 2006. "Multilateral agreements," Nuclear Law Bulletin, OECD Publishing, vol. 2005(2), pages 99-102.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fidrmuc, Jan, 2001. "Migration and adjustment to shocks in transition economies," ZEI Working Papers B 23-2001, University of Bonn, ZEI - Center for European Integration Studies.
    2. Sebastian Böhm, 2012. "The Effects of Factor Market Integration on the Macroeconomic Development in Unified Germany," DEGIT Conference Papers c017_023, DEGIT, Dynamics, Economic Growth, and International Trade.
    3. Klaus H. Goetz & Ronny Patz & Katharina Michaelowa, 2017. "Resourcing International Organisations: So What?," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 8, pages 113-123, August.
    4. repec:zbw:rwidps:0020 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. John Ravenhill, 2012. "The Numbers Game in Asia-Pacific Cooperation," Chapters, in: Christopher M. Dent & Jörn Dosch (ed.), The Asia-Pacific, Regionalism and the Global System, chapter 5, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    6. Hilmar Tór HILMARSSON, 2016. "Iceland, economic integration and the European Union," REVISTA DE MANAGEMENT COMPARAT INTERNATIONAL/REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL COMPARATIVE MANAGEMENT, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 17(4), pages 373-391, October.
    7. Burda, Michael C., 2008. "What kind of shock was it? Regional integration and structural change in Germany after unification," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 557-567, December.
    8. Klaus H. Goetz & Ronny Patz & Bernhard Reinsberg, 2017. "Trust Funds as a Lever of Influence at International Development Organizations," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 8, pages 85-95, August.
    9. repec:bla:glopol:v:8:y:2017:i:s5:p:15-25 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. O'Toole, Kevin & Dennis, Jennifer & Kilpatrick, Sue & Farmer, Jane, 2010. "From passive welfare to community governance: Youth NGOs in Australia and Scotland," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 430-436, March.
    11. Schmidt, Christoph M. & Haisken-DeNew, John P. & Bauer, Thomas K., 2004. "International Labor Migration, Economic Growth and Labor Markets - The Current State of Affairs," RWI Discussion Papers 20, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung.
    12. Hans‐Werner Sinn, 2002. "Germany’s Economic Unification: An Assessment after Ten Years," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 10(1), pages 113-128, February.
    13. Page, William, 2003. "Germany's Mezzogiorno revisited: Institutions, fiscal transfers and regional convergence," Research Notes 9, Deutsche Bank Research.
    14. Oliver Westerwinter & Kenneth W. Abbott & Thomas Biersteker, 2021. "Informal governance in world politics," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 1-27, January.
    15. Klaus H. Goetz & Ronny Patz & Erin R. Graham, 2017. "Follow the Money: How Trends in Financing Are Changing Governance at International Organizations," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 8, pages 15-25, August.
    16. K. Dimitrova & Nikolay Nenovsky, 2002. "Dual Inflation under the Currency Board. The challenges of Bulgarian EU accession," Post-Print halshs-00259861, HAL.
    17. von Hagen, Jurgen & Strauch, Rolf, 2000. "East Germany: Transition With Unification - Experiments and Experiences," CEPR Discussion Papers 2386, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    18. Belke, Ansgar & Gocke, Matthias & Hebler, Martin, 2005. "Institutional uncertainty and European Social Union: Impacts on job creation and destruction in the CEECs," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 345-354, April.
    19. Straubhaar, Thomas, 2000. "Internationale Migration Gehen oder Bleiben: Wieso gehen wenige und bleiben die meisten?," Discussion Paper Series 26289, Hamburg Institute of International Economics.
    20. repec:bla:glopol:v:8:y:2017:i:s5:p:113-123 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Song Hong, 2013. "The national patent regime and indigenous innovations in compliance with TRIPS: a case study of China," Chapters, in: Sunil Mani & Richard R. Nelson (ed.), TRIPS Compliance, National Patent Regimes and Innovation, chapter 5, pages 172-221, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    22. Stephen, Matthew D. & Parízek, Michal, 2019. "New Powers and the Distribution of Preferences in Global Trade Governance: From Deadlock and Drift to Fragmentation," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 24(6), pages 735-758.
    23. Hans-Werner Sinn, 2001. "Social Dumping in the Transformation Process," CESifo Working Paper Series 508, CESifo.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:vrs:bjeust:v:3:y:2013:i:3:p:153-174:n:8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.sciendo.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.