Models of EU Democracy Promotion: From Leverage to Governance

Abstract

The European Union’s distinct constitution as a political system sui generis has implications for the nature of its external relations. EU foreign affairs encompass much more than limited intergovernmental cooperation in the framework of its Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)/European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). They include a whole range of activities such as trade, aid, development, and enlargement and association policies such as the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), as well as the external dimension of sectoral policies in a variety of fields such as environment, energy, and migration.¹ This mosaic of EU external policies opens up a variety of possibilities for the promotion of democracy outside the EU’s borders.