Can the EU support democracy in the Eastern Partnership?

Abstract

Democracy cannot be imposed from the outside: if it is to be sustainable, it has to come from within. External actors can at best help to support those on the ground who are pursuing the same democratic agenda. While democratisation has been one of the EU's key objectives for the Eastern Partnership region, in practice, the EU has faced many obstacles to achieving this goal. Internally, its actions have not always been coordinated, and the EU's rhetoric has not been backed up by political and financial resources. Moreover, those who hold power in the region and could therefore contribute to their countries’ democratisation have rarely been interested in doing so. These constraints are unlikely to change any time soon–-but the EU can enhance the region's democratic prospects by improving its coordination and widening the scope of those it supports in the region, thereby helping to expand the circle of those who have a stake in their countries’ democratisation.