Democracy promotion in the European neighbourhood : an assessment of European neighbourhood policy as a framework for external democracy promotion

Abstract

With 2014 marking the 10th anniversary of the genesis of the European Union’s European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), this thesis analyses whether the policy has constituted an effective framework for external democracy promotion after a decade of implementation. The thesis focuses on six case study countries from Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East, as well as external evaluations of the policy and direct interviews with policy makers and experts in the area. It assesses a number of key questions pertaining to the effectiveness of the ENP in the promotion of democracy, as well as the ENPs ability to evaluate and develop itself in reaction to the changing neighbourhood. This thesis argues that the European Union has no clear or unified road map for the region, neither defined in the policy nor agreed between its many member states. The EU has failed over the last 10 years to adequately assess itself and to adapt to a changing neighbourhood. The EU has further failed, because it has become satisfied with supporting façade democracies, preferring stability in its neighbourhood over real democratic progress.