ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the European Union (EU) suffers from a leadership paradox at the heart of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). It provides a general overview of the academic debates on Europe as a power and highlights the assumptions of leadership implicit in academic literature. The chapter suggests four dimensions to categorise leadership in relation to the study of the ENP – person, position, process and outcome. It considers the question of leadership performance, drawing on O. Young's threefold typology of leadership. The chapter presents the utility of social role theory as an analytical tool for examining the nature, dimensions and scope of EU leadership in its southern and eastern neighbourhoods. This approach focuses on the complex relationship between leaders and followers, and outlines the importance of research in the attitudes, preferences and role expectations of ENP countries.
