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.
