The European Union’s ‘geopolitical subjectivity’ in the Arctic in question: a case study of France and the Kingdom of Denmark relations

This paper explores an understudied aspect of EU-Arctic relationships. It analyzes tensions between Member States (MS) within the EU, their stances towards the Arctic, the EU, and the EU’s role in the Arctic. The paper critically examines the proclaimed geopolitical unity of the EU in the Arctic. It focuses on the case study of France and the Kingdom of Denmark (KoD). The study is timely, as KoD assumes the Chairship of the Arctic Council (AC) and the presidency of the Council of the EU in 2025. The paper’s novelty lies in its rich empirical data from conference ethnography and creative interviewing. It has two main aims: first, to evaluate the impact of the EU-MS-Arctic nexus on Arctic governance and EU-Arctic relations. Second, to assess the EU’s claim as a unified geopolitical power in the Arctic from political geography and region-building perspectives. The theoretical framework and methods are outlined. A ‘peopled’ account of geopolitics that focuses on practices and (geographical) representations is used to add nuances to the study of the EU as a ‘geopolitical subject’, as defined by Aalto. The case study reveals the multilayered dimensions of the EU-MS-Arctic nexus. It highlights Denmark’s contestation of France’s polar ambitions, the hidden European scale, and domestic factors. The paper concludes by proposing an analytical matrix for the EU-MS-Arctic nexus and the EU’s potential as a geopolitical power in the Arctic and globally.