Resilience in the European Union external action

The concept of resilience helps to capture important changes in the EU’s policy towards its Southern neighborhood. First, the EU no longer suggests that protracted crises will be overcome tout court. Instead, the EU can only help to cope with them. Second, the new leitmotif of resilience signals a shift in responsibilities. Rather than promoting a one-size-fits-all blueprint, resilience suggests an appreciation for local actors and practices. The overall message to the EU’s Southern neighborhood is ambivalent because only a thin line separates a genuine appreciation for local capacities from an attempt to relieve the EU of expensive commitments.