External publications

The EU's support to democracy: recognising the democratising potential of the EU's foreign policy agenda

Vandeputte, Nathan / Fabienne Bossuyt / Niels Keijzer / Christine Hackenesch / Evelyn Mantoiu / Danio Di Mauro / Christopher Wingens / Stefania Panebianco / Julia Leininger
External Publications (2024)

Mapping and Organizing Research on Dictatorships, Policy Brief

Volltext/Full text

In light of renewed European Union (EU) efforts to protect the global state of democracy – as shown by initiatives such as the 2019 Council Conclusions, the Global Summits for Democracy, the Team Europe Democracy initiative, or recently the European Commission proposal for a European Democracy Shield – global trends threaten the capacity and willingness of the EU to actually do so. Indeed, with growing criticism of European interventions, accusations of double standards, geopolitical shifts and systemic rivalry with other international players, alongside domestic challenges in Europe, the fundamental question of whether the EU should engage in democracy support is both quietly raised and answered by being effectively overtaken by other foreign policy priorities. This policy brief presents reflections and recommendations on how the EU can meaningfully support democracy in the new geopolitical reality. It challenges the EU to more fundamentally reconsider the intended and unintended consequences of its broader strategic foreign policy actions on (prospects for) democracy in its partner countries, and develops five ideas for how the EU can do so.