11: What Kind of Foreign Policy – Value-Based or Realpolitik?

Although the pursuit of national interests has always been the bedrock from which foreign policy is formulated, most decisions and actions today are explained as being in line with higher principles and purposes. In an interdependent world in which interests and threats are no longer geographically contained, shared values and rules have gained considerable ground, and states have moderated their pursuit of self-interest, sometimes  as in the case of EU Member States – even accepting considerable limitations of their sovereignty.
The seminar will posit that foreign policy is mostly a hybrid construct in which value considerations coexist uncomfortably with the stark realities of an interest-driven Realpolitik. It will examine the origins, application and limitations of these notions and their relevance in current diplomatic challenges, such as Mali, the Middle East and nuclear security. Special attention will be devoted to the growing relevance of  the individual in international relations, both in connection with human rights and accountability, and to the trend towards multilateralisation of foreign policy, as exemplified by the UN and the EU s Common Foreign and Security Policy. An attempt will be made  with the active help of participants and special guests  to define and test a plausible blueprint for an appropriate foreign policy for our times.