Approaches democratization of the European neighbourhood from two sides, first exploring developments in the states themselves and then examining what the European Union has been doing to promote the process.

Studienarbeit aus dem Jahr 2018 im Fachbereich Politik - Thema: Internationale Beziehungen, Note: 1,3, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen (Institut für Politikwissenschaften), Veranstaltung: Rule of Law and European Integration in Post-Soviet Societies, Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: This paper will focus on the two parts of the promotion of democracy and the Rule of Law by the EU but also Russia as a counterpart to it. It is indispensable not to see a connection between both influences, the European one and the soviet or Russian one because of the soviet history of the country. We also should take into consideration the geopolitical aspect of this threefold relationship. The collapse of Communist systems in Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) marked a fundamental turning point in their domestic development. The transformation of post-communist systems included not only the partly won democratization of the political systems, but also the transformation of virtually all social subsystems. Over the years, it soon became apparent that the former communist states were performing very differently in this task and achieved very different successes. While in Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and the Baltic States, functioning democratic systems and pluralistic societies have been established relatively quickly, many of the states that emerged from the collapse of the Soviet Union remained in stagnation and chaos or developed into authoritarian systems. On the other hand some states evolved from some fundamental steps towards democratization like for example Georgia where the so called Rose Revolution, a peaceful change of power, took place. This revolution allowed the country not only to transition to another political system but also towards a change of Rule of Law in an echo of the European thought. Important to know in this case is that during the Rose Revolution in 2003 and right after this event the European Union (EU) increasingly supported Georgia through a diverse set of measures – especially covering the financial aspect in order to develop a more independent judicial system. Therefore, this paper will focus on the lack of judicial independence as a long-standing problem in Georgia, dating back to Soviet times. The EU is trying to solve this problem with the help of projects and agreements. Georgia is (progressively) approaching the EU by signing an association agreement in 2014 “in which the country undertook to pursue comprehensive reforms, particularly in the areas of democracy, the Rule of Law, human rights and basic civil liberties, good governance, market economy and sustainable development.”

For the last two decades the number of political organizations on the far right, neo-populist right and neo-conservative right has been growing. Along with the mounting electoral success for many of the parties there has also been a growing disenchantment with the political class which has led to a revolt against the current political 'establishment'. The events of September 11, 2001 and the 'War on Terror' have further aggravated tensions within the populations between those who feel they are the 'legitimate' citizens of the state and those who are considered 'outsiders'. The recent expansion of the EU's borders has also brought on fears of a surge of both legal and illegal immigration. All these factors have led to a growing number of cases of harassment and outbursts of violence aimed at asylum seekers and ethnic minorities in Europe. This book measures the effects of neo-populist groups on the current political establishment and illustrates how much political appeal neo-populist views have on making current political policy.

Political conditionality involves the linking of development aid to certain standards of observance of human rights and (liberal) democracy in recipient countries. Although this may seem to be an innocent policy, it has the potential to bring about a dramatic change in the basic principles of the international system: putting human rights first means putting respect for individuals and rights before respect for the sovereignty of states.

The Routledge Handbook on the European Neighbourhood Policy provides a comprehensive overview of the EU’s most important foreign policy instrument, provided by leading experts in the field. Coherently structured and adopting a multidisciplinary approach, this handbook covers the most important themes, developments and dynamics in the EU’s neighbourhood policy framework through a series of cutting-edge contributions. With chapters from a substantial number of scholars who have been influential in shaping the study of the ENP, this handbook serves to encourage debates which will hopefully produce more conceptual as well as neighbourhood-specific perspectives leading to enriching future studies on the EU’s policies towards its neighbourhood. It will be a key reference point both for advanced-level students, scholars and professionals developing knowledge in the fields of EU/European Studies, European Foreign Policy Analysis, Area studies, EU law, and more broadly in political economy, political science, comparative politics and international relations.

Democracy, which protects freedom and citizens' rights more than any other regime, is in crisis today. In recent years, it has become exhausted in its European center and along its periphery. Citizen trust of the European Union's democratic institutions has been fading. The EU's "normative power" -- its ability to spread its norms and values to other states -- and its "soft power" -- its ability to attract others to its point of view -- are now seen as less likely to achieve the expected goals of spreading democracy within EU countries and creating a ring of well-governed states in neighboring countries. Democracy and its institutions need to adapt to these new challenges. Respected authors and experts offer fresh and creative answers to the challenges of democracy in the European Union and its neighboring countries by offering a transatlantic perspective.

Several events in the past few years have dramatically shown how the interests of European citizens are directly affected by the stability, security and prosperity of their neighbouring regions. At the same time, the European Union and its member states face many challenges and dilemmas in designing and pursuing policies that not only effectively promote these interests, but also build stronger partnerships with neighbouring countries based on the values on which the Union is founded. First the Arab revolts and then Russia’s assertiveness in the eastern neighbourhood prompted reviews by the EU of its European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), in 2011 and 2015, respectively. These reviews, in turn, have renewed scholarly interest in the ENP. By deliberately focusing on the recent literature (since 2011), this book by CEPS identifies the factors that explain the (lack of) effectiveness and coherence of the ENP. This exercise has resulted in a rich overview of and deep reflection on a wide variety of ENP-related themes, such as conditionality and leverage, the interests vs values dilemma and the role of third parties. The study identifies where there is consensus among scholars and where perspectives and judgements differ. It also identifies important gaps in the literature where further research is needed. This book will be of interest to a wide audience of officials, diplomats, parliamentarians, researchers at think tanks, civil society organisations, university teachers, trainers, students and journalists who want to know more about the challenges and dilemmas arising from the ENP. The work has been carried out by a team of researchers from CEPS in Brussels, with the support of the Policy and Operations Evaluation Department (IOB) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.