Cultural Diplomacy as Statecraft: Beyond the Soft Power Fallacy (legrandcontinent.eu)

• Cultural diplomacy requires state coordination to project national influence effectively.
• Soft power is criticized for ignoring the reality that cultural attraction is backed by coercive strategies.
• The shift in the 21st century involves non-state actors operating within gray zones of state influence.

"Historian Ludovic Tournès deconstructs cultural diplomacy, defining it as a state-coordinated repertoire of actions aimed at international projection. He argues that 'soft power' is a flawed, practitioner-focused concept that masks the role of coercion and economic leverage. Tournès contends that cultural diplomacy is inherently tied to the nation-state and intensified during periods of total war, where it often overlaps with propaganda. He emphasizes that as new actors like multinational corporations and non-state entities emerge, the historical link between cultural diplomacy, national identity, and state-backed power remains a critical, often aggressive component of international relations."