Title:  "Narrating Order in a Contested Sea: The European Union and the South China Sea"

Time: May 6 (Wed), 12:00-13:00

Venue: TSE Common Area

Speaker:  Manuel R Enverga III (Jean Monnet Chair of European Studies and Director of Ateneo de Manila University's European Studies Program)

Lecture Abstract:  

This lecture examines how the European Union (EU) engages with geopolitical tensions in the South China Sea despite its limited military presence in the region. Focusing on the Sino-Philippine territorial dispute as a critical case, it draws on Strategic Narrative Theory and Critical Discourse Analysis to analyze how the EU constructs its role through official discourse. The findings show that the EU consistently frames the dispute in terms of international law, the rules-based international order, and the importance of restraint and multilateralism. The lecture also incorporates insights from research on European digital diplomacy, demonstrating that while the EU articulates a coherent narrative at the institutional level, the practices of individual European states are more fragmented and shaped by differing strategic and economic considerations. Taken together, these findings highlight a tension between unity in narrative and variation in practice. By situating these dynamics within the broader Indo-Pacific context, the lecture explores how actors operating under conditions of constraint use discourse, signaling, and partnerships to maintain influence. It concludes by reflecting on the implications of these findings for regional actors, including Taiwan, particularly in navigating relations with major powers and engaging external partners such as the EU.

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Manuel R. Enverga III is Jean Monnet Chair of European Studies at the Ateneo de Manila University, where he also serves as Director of the European Studies Program. He is also the current President of the European Studies Association of the Philippines. His teaching and research has focused on a diverse set of topics, which include European politics, digital culture, EU-Philippine relations, and digital diplomacy. Outside of his academic work, he has a regular column on The Philippine Business and News outlet called “Continental Drifts”, and hosts The Eurospeak Podcast, where he and his guests talk about European influences on contemporary popular culture.