Abstract

There is a growing perception that arguments favouring security are gaining ground in the aid narrative and that aid allocation is changing accordingly. This work explores the extent and features of such shifts in the particular case of the EU. We observe the evolution of development paradigms (social development, sustainable development and security) and aid motives (solidarity, common interests and self-interest) in the aid discourse. This is done by means of content analysis of strategic aid documents of a selection of European donors (the EU institutions, the Netherlands, the UK, Germany, France, Sweden and Spain). We then explore the eventual shift in the aid budgets of those same donors. In line with previous work on EU aid securitisation, we find evidence of securitisation in both narratives and aid flows. However, this trend is far from homogeneous, showing the complexity and diversity within the Union. There is practically no evidence of securitisation in the EU institutions, Spain or Sweden. We find mixed evidence for the Netherlands, Germany and France (where narratives and flow changes towards securitisation do not necessarily match) and, finally, a significant shift in the UK, where aid narratives and aid flows have been significantly securitised.

摘要

越来越多的人认为，支持安全的论点在援助叙述中越来越受欢迎，而且援助分配也在相应地发生变化。这项工作探讨了这种转变在欧盟特定情况下的程度和特征。我们在援助话语中观察了发展范式（社会发展、可持续发展和安全）和援助动机（团结、共同利益和自身利益）的演变。这是通过对选定的欧洲捐助者（欧盟机构、荷兰、英国、德国、法国、瑞典和西班牙）的战略援助文件进行内容分析来完成的。然后，我们探讨了这些捐助者的援助预算的最终变化。与之前关于欧盟援助证券化的工作一致，我们在叙述和援助流动中都发现了证券化的证据。然而，这种趋势远非同质化，显示出联盟内部的复杂性和多样性。欧盟机构、西班牙或瑞典几乎没有证券化的证据。我们发现荷兰、德国和法国（其中对证券化的叙述和流量变化不一定匹配）的混合证据，最后，在英国发生了重大转变，在英国，援助叙述和援助流量已显着证券化。