From Destroyer to Preserver? The Evolution of India’s Position Towards the Liberal International Order and Its Significance for the EU–India Strategic Partnership

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has spent much time in recent years projecting the image of India as a promotor of free trade and a protector of the rules-based international order. Bearing in mind strong Indian criticism of the global governance in the post-Cold War period and tensions with European partners on multilateral forums, such a radical change in Indian foreign policy would mean much for the international system. It would open a new chapter in partnership with the European Union which looks for more like-minded partners interested in multilateralism. In its first Strategy on India, adopted in late 2018, the European Commission already recognised India as a partner that “shares values of democracy, human rights, fundamental freedoms and supports the rules-based international order centred on multilateralism”. This contribution examines whether the European assumption about India’s role is correct and what it could mean for EU–India relations. Does India understand the “rules-based order” similarly to the European Union? In what areas at the multilateral level can India be seen as a credible partner for the European Union? And what would possible cooperation on strategic issues bring for the EU–India partnership? This chapter will seek answers to these questions by focusing on India’s shifting position in three areas, all elements of the liberal international order: its multilateral trade system, its non-proliferation regime and its promotion of democracy. The analysis shows that, though India is shifting closer to the European perspective, it is still a “global swing state”, guarding its strategic autonomy, and will only selectively share the EU vision of global order.