The south-eastern enlargement of the EU in 2007 expanded its sphere of influence to the shores of the Black Sea. Using a technique of discursive condensation I will highlight the intertwining of distinct discursive logics which are at play in the wider Black Sea region and which are directly related to the problem of political order. As the case of Georgia will show, the mere description of these distinct discursive logics is not sufficient, however. Therefore, I will analyse the inherent dynamic of simultaneously overlapping and colliding discursive formations within a relatively bounded discursive configuration. The analysis will mainly focus on the discursive triangle constituted by the EU, Georgia, and Russia. My main argument will be that the EU has not only failed to contribute to ‘conflict resolution’ but that its very presence in the discursive arena and its distinct meta-organisational logic of communication has contributed to the further escalation of political conflict within the region.
