What is Smart Power

The unpredicted escalation of regional security crises and conflicts challenges the stability in the contemporary international system. The conflict prevention phase is key to international conflicts. This research accepts that regional security crises and conflicts are a result of power competition. A theoretical gap is the unclear meaning of power, as well as how power is perceived by different IR actors. A reliable analysis on power perception is needed to define its meaning. This chapter decomposes the concept of power to measurable categories. The methodology is qualitative, with conceptual analysis of power in international relations. The derived new concept is based on power definitions in IR theory: hard, soft, smart, and sharp. The new classification of six power elements comprises military/security, economy/investment, energy/climate, diplomacy/politics, governance/society, and information access/exchange. Through it, the perceived power of regional competitors can be assessed. Particularly, it can foster the EU role as a conflict prevention actor.