Von der Leyen’s European Commission’s Vision of the EU’s International Role as a Normative-Regulatory Power in the Digital Area for the 2019–2024 Period

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine whether the documents prepared by the European Commission (EC) under the leadership of Ursula von der Leyen are based on a coherent vision of the international role to be played by the EU in the digital area. It attempts to achieve this goal by referring to two concepts popular in the analysis of the international role of the EU: as a normative and regulatory power. The question posed is, To what extent does the European Commission want the EU to play the role of a normative or regulatory power on the international stage in the field of digital policy? To answer it, the author focuses on an analysis of von der Leyen’s speeches and selected EC documents. Following Mayring, the author has used a method involving the qualitative content analysis of speeches and policy documents. The author tries to find signs that the EC wants the Union to play a role as a normative or regulatory power in the digital sphere. The study shows that the titular institution refers to these concepts in its documents. The Commission also assumes that the Union can play both roles simultaneously, thus strengthening its ability to influence third parties in the digital sphere. However, whether it does so intentionally or because it lacks a concrete vision of the EU’s international role in the digital area remains unresolved.