Affiliation:
1. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem , Israel
2. Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals , Spain
3. Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) , Spain
Abstract
Abstract
A virulent outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease killed thousands of individuals between December 2013 and June 2016. The risk of contagion among European Union (EU) citizens increased its salience to unprecedented levels for an outbreak that primarily affected sub-Saharan Africa. Considering the need for analyzing recent external transboundary outbreak responses in the post-COVID-19 era, this paper explains the involvement of the EU in the Ebola outbreak. By combining descriptive social network analysis with fourteen semi-structured interviews, it provides original insights into European politics and crisis management scholarship. The findings partially support theoretical expectations regarding the relevance of postcolonial ties and institutional frameworks in the reaction. It also suggests that neorealist literature fails to capture its full complexity. Hence, institutional deficiencies explain the low centrality and flawed coordination among EU actors in the response. Additionally, postcolonial ties with the affected countries facilitated the involvement of Western governments in the reaction. However, not all former colonial powers were equally involved in the response. Finally, countries that registered infections did not necessarily play central roles in this effort. These findings have broader implications for the involvement of the EU in future external outbreaks, including the need for establishing clearer and explicit allocations of competences.
Funder
Spanish Ministry of Education and Vocational Training
Formación del Profesorado Universitario
Azrieli Foundation
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Subject
Political Science and International Relations,Geography, Planning and Development
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