We highlight similarities and differences in Indian, Japanese and Indonesian perceptions of the European Union (EU) at times of crisis, taking into account the Covid crisis and Russia’s war against Ukraine and assess whether these perceptions of three of the biggest players in the Indo-Pacific are linked to the way in which they perceive themselves and their own interests in the region.
While scholarly attention has tended to focus there on geopolitical strategy, our article adds new empirical findings by highlighting the emotional and societal dimension. At the beginning of the pandemic crisis, the emotional charge towards the EU was first negative and later became positive as the EU lifted its export controls of vaccines.
The war in Ukraine showed different perceptions: India perceived the EU as insensitive to its concerns, whilst Japan saw the EU’s commitment to Ukraine in a positive light. Indonesia holds a neutral position, reflecting its tradition of non-alignment. Overall, our analysis finds that the way in which the EU is perceived in emotional terms will be determined by the sense of urgency felt by each country regarding their respective relations with the EU as well as whether strategic interests are aligned or mutually understood.
Citation:
de Vergeron, K. L., Tsuruoka, M., & Angeline, M. (2025). Comparative perceptions of the EU in the Indo-Pacific: India, Japan and Indonesia. Journal of Contemporary European Studies, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/14782804.2025.2520248
This article was co-authored by Dr Karine Lisbonne de Vergeron (Associate Director and Head of Europe Programme, GPI) with Michito Tsuruoka (
You can find the full article here:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14782804.2025.2520248