Description
How do diplomats work at trust in the face of consistent conflicts of interest? Trust is often said to function as a glue which holds relationships together beyond state borders, also in challenging times. There thus exists a common aspiration to embed trust in diplomacy, as it fosters and deepens cooperation. Yet zooming in on everyday diplomatic practice reveals that it is ridden with tensions and power clashes – especially now that multilateralism is under pressure. Trust is not a blanket that covers conflict. Trusting requires work – and this trust work sits next to diplomatic work that invokes conflict, such as leaking and lying. I approach trust through a practice theoretical lens and study diplomatic information sharing in the Council of the European Union (EU). Drawing on fieldwork conducted between 2018-2022, I analyze how diplomats work at trust by foreseeing conflict, creating flexibility and bracketing politics. Trust work contributes to a productive space for dialogue, which helps to settle conflicts of interests rather than escalating them. The weight of these compromises should not be underestimated at a time of increasingly polarizing opinions, diverging interests and values between European member states.
