How the EU and Russia Narrate the World Struggling for Recognition

Chapter 1:  Introduction

Chaoter 2: The Need for a Conceptualistaion of Discrusive Interaction

                 - EU-Russia Relations: A Heterogenous Field

                   Ideas and Interpretation in EU-Russia Relations

                   Interpretation and Identity 

                    Russia in European Identity Discourses

                    Europe in Russian Identity Discourses 

                  - Taking a Step Back: Interaction of Ideas and Interpretation

                     What is Interaction

                     Explaining Ideational Interaction 

                     Exploring Agency in Interaction 

                     Developing the Intersubjective Dimension

                     Conclusion

Chapter 3-  A Conceptual Framework of Discrusive Interaction

                  - The Poststructuralist Edifice

                    Discrusive Change

                    The (Perceived) Problem: Can We Really Do Without Constraining Structures? 

                    Developing the Intersubjective Dimension

                   -The Recognition Analogy

                     Recognition Theory: A Brief Overview 

                     Recognition in Hegel's Phenomenology of the Spirit 

                     Critical Approaches: The Role of Negativity

                     Implications for the Self and Its Relation to Others                         

                    - Brining Recognition and Poststructuralism Together 

                      A Framework of Discrusive Interaction

                      Agency and Constraints to it

                      Intra- and Intersubjectivity

                      Conclusion   

Chapter 4-  A Reserach Design for Capturing Discursive Interaction 

                -  Poststructuralist Discourse Analysis: Preparing the Ground

                -  Capturing the Discrusive Interaction: Antagonism, Boundaries and Floating Signifiers 

                    Discrusive Struggle Between Russia and the EU

                    Methodological Crux: Floating Signifiers in Laclauian Discourse Theory

                    How to Analyse Floating Signifiers Between Competing Discourses? 

               -   Operationalistaion: Analysing Discrusive Interaction in EU-Russia Relations

                  On Identity and the Other in Foreign Policy Discourse 

                  Two Selves and Two Other" Russia and the EU

                  Selction of Events and Tempora; Dimension 

                  Discrusive Arenas

                 Selecting Text for Ananlysis

              -  Summary

Chapter 5-  Seven Contested Events in EU-Russia Relations

                    1. The Orange Revoluton (2004/05)

                        The EU's Discourse 

                        Russia's Discouse 

                        Discursive Interaction

                  2. Kosovo's Declaration of Independence (2007/08)

                      The EU's Discourse 

                     Russia's Discourse  

                     Discursive Interaction

                 3. Caucasus: Abkhazia's and South Ossetia's Declaration of Independence (2008)

                      The EU's Discourse 

                      Russia's Discourse

                      Discursive Interaction

                4. Maidan: The Revolution of Dignity (2013/14)

                   The EU's Discourse

                   Russia's Discourse

                   Discursive Interaction

               5. The Annexation of Crimea (2014)

                   The EU's Discourse

                    Russia's Discourse

                    Discursive Interaction 

             6. Protests in Belarus (2020)

                 The EU's Discourse 

                  Russia's Discouse 

                  Discursive Interaction

            7. The Poisoning of Alexei Navalny (2020/21)

                The EU's Discourse

                Russia's Discourse

                Discursive Interaction

Chapter 6-  Making Sense of Discursive Interaction

                 - Drawing Discursive Boundaries

                   Ethical Dimension of Othering

                   Spatial Dimension of Othering 

                   First Interim Summary: Drawing Discrusive Boundaries

                -  Intersubjective Interaction with the Other's Discourse

                   Extensive Russia Engagement 

                  Making Sense of Asymmeterical Interaction Through Recognition

                  Second Interim Summary: Intersubjective Interaction

              -  Revisiting Discrusive Interaction in EU-Russia Relations

                 Agency in Interaction

                 An Intesubjective Relationship 

                Room for Dynamics? 

             -  Conclusion

Chapter 7- Russia Narrates Its War Against Ukraine

               -  The Kremlim's Representation of the War

               - The War and Russia's Discursive Struggle

               - Challenging the Russia War Discourse? 

Chapter 8- Conclusion

              - Discursive Interaction in EU-Russia Relations: A Recap

              - Towards Increasing Competition 

Index

Biography

Mario Baumann is Research Fellow and Project Manager at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP). His work focuses on EU-Russia relations, Russian foreign policy, Russian civil society and European security.

“This book provides an exceptionally profound and up-to-date study of how Europe continues to be essential to Russia’s identity formation. Theoretically imaginative and covering an extended set of discursive material over the last two decades, it is essential reading to understand Russia’s policy, its interaction with the EU and the war it is waging on Ukraine.”

- Prof. Tom Casier, University of Groningen