Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 05/2011

Between conditionality and engagement: Revisiting the EU's democracy promotion in the Eastern neighbourhood

Kristi Raik

April 2011

Finnish Institute for International Affairs

Abstract

Democracy promotion has become one of the key challenges of the ongoing review of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The Arab uprisings have provoked calls for stronger democratic conditionality under the ENP. In fact, the idea of democratic conditionality – that is, tying progress in the neighbours’ EU relations to their democratic performance – has been included in the ENP strategy since early on. In practice, it has been taken a little more seriously in the East than in the South, but even in the East, it has been implemented in an inconsistent and selective manner.