The European Union and the Syria conflict: The cost of policy incoherence

What role did the European Union (EU) play in the early stages of the Syria conflict, and what can it tell us about EU actorness in an increasingly multipolar world? With the reluctance of the United States to lead, and stalemate at the United Nations, the stage seemed set for the EU to justify its ambitions to be a global actor on a par with the USA. Prior to the outbreak of the Syrian war in 2011, the EU had developed various instruments of external action that focused on conflict prevention, human security, and refugee protection programmes - all of which were available for implementation and which would have served to highlight the EU's distinct contribution in world affairs. This chapter argues that the EU lacked coherence in its early response to the Syrian crisis, and failed to offer an alternative to the geopolitical impasse between regional and international actors. Drawing upon Chartlotte Bretherton and John Vogler's framework for institutional actorness, the chapter evaluates EU policies towards the Syrian conflict through the lenses of opportunity, presence, and capability, highlighting member state divisions, structural incapacities, and role confusion as key explanatory factors.