Performances of Compromise: Transnational Dynamics in Brussels-based Diplomacy

This paper makes two empirical points and one methodological claim about EU-level diplomatic decision-making. The empirical points concern the relationship between national and trans-national dynamics in Brussels. First, I argue that underneath the continued importance of nation-states, European diplomacy is becoming gradually and imperceptibly trans-nationalised. Nation-states and individual diplomats compete on a field of competence that is less and less reducible to intergovernmental dynamics: even the most powerful foreign services need to cultivate an attitude of greater inclusiveness and openness among their diplomats. Second, foregrounding such transnational dynamics requires close attention to the strategies and tactics of not just national ministries but also individual diplomats. To be successful in Brussels, individuals are not always well advised to follow their instructions from the capitals; they rather need to cultivate Brussels-specific contacts. This is a highly individualized process that needs to be studied in all of its idiosyncratic and indeterminate character beyond functionalist or realist models. These empirical arguments lead me to call for a more relaxed attitude toward generalization, causality, and taxonomy in the study of Brussels-based diplomacy. I draw especially on the work of Michel De Certeau to show how his theorization of everyday life would benefit our understanding of EU-level negotiations.