The nature of the European actorness regarding the refugee strategy in Uganda and Ethiopia - A descriptive comparative case study

Sammanfattning: Previous conclusions in the literature established a decline of the European actorness on a global scale. This article addresses the pertinence of the actorness theory on a regional level based on a comparative descriptive study of bilateral EU-Third countries partnerships in Ethiopia and Uganda. While the European influence appears to be decreasing, the Specific Issue of the refugee crisis - as being a significant and preoccupying event for the European Union on an economic, political and social scale - could strengthen the European actorness in both countries. Considering the contrasting evolved partnerships between the EU and Uganda / Ethiopia, it will be intriguing to estimate the nature of the European actorness in both settings. The Twitter platform database will be employed through a qualitative content analysis targeting the distinct patterns of Bretherton & Vogler (2006; 2013) to measure, on a communication level, this European actorness regarding the refugee strategy in East Africa. The aim of the research is the creation of a new hypothesis involving the relevance of the European actorness for future explanatory studies. The study results revealed the importance of the European Presence. It also presented the relative significance of the European Opportunities in a particular region. Finally, it did not give new insights concerning the Coherence of the European Union in East Africa.