The Power of The European Union in Southeast Asia

As part of a broader EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, the EU has been pursuing more proactive policies and closer ties with the Southeast Asian region. In the context of the EU's increasing presence in Southeast Asia, this paper aims to explore the power of the EU in the region from both theoretical and practical lenses. In order to achieve that, the paper firstly discusses Edward Carr's conception of power and how it can be applied to determine the types of power of the EU. It then explores the EU's influence in Southeast Asia and how it is compatible with the types of power identified, namely market power, normative power, and security power. The paper finally offers some concluding views on the extent to which the EU exercises its power in Southeast Asia and finds that the credibility of the types of power identified is highly dependent on views and perceptions of the region.