Trade, Politics, and Patronising Otherness: Analysing the EU’s Moral Authority in EU-Trade Agreements

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article investigates how political actors engage in the politicisation of TTIP and EU-Mercosur agreements. By focusing on Atlantic Europe, Fortress Europe, and Moral Europe, the study reveals how proponents and opponents contribute to the construction of places and hierarchisation of trade partners. For TTIP, opponents highlighted the USA’s relaxed regulatory standards, promoting a ‘fortress’ narrative that emphasised regulatory differences. Proponents, however, framed the USA as an equal ally, advocating for an Atlantic Europe partnership. In contrast, the Mercosur agreement saw proponents, particularly in Germany, viewing Latin American nations as strategically significant, with the EU positioned as a moral authority countering China’s influence. Opponents also used the Moral Europe frame to argue that engagement with Brazil could undermine the EU´s ethical standards and damage its moral leadership. Ultimately, this study shows the paternalistic approach used by both proponents and opponents to frame the EU in relation to the Mercosur nations.