A Gramscian analysis of how multinational corporations influence EU trade policy towards Africa

Orthodox theories of how the European Union’s trade policy is formed do not fully explain why its trade agreements with Africa often prioritise the interests of multinational corporations. This thesis argues that Gramscian state theory is more able to provide an explanation as to why multinational corporations are able to influence European Union trade policy towards the African members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States. This is because these corporations’ command of capital, technology and resources renders European policymakers more receptive of their business interests than those of African states or civil society organisations.