The European Union and democratization

Abstract:

Modern politics, almost throughout the world, suffers from a democratic deficit and an apparent disenchantment on the part of the electorates. This might be more so in the older democracies where the population may have become cynical or at best blaze about politicians, but what about those states who have been denied democratic access for decades? This work looks at seven such states who are near neighbours of the EU, and examines the efforts of the EU to promote democracy in those states.

The work opens with an introduction to the theory and evidence which acts as a general backcloth to the subject. The subsequent chapters are dedicated to individual case studies in the countries under consideration - Latvia, Slovakia, Romania, Turkey, Croatia, Ukraine and Morocco. The book closes with a concluding chapter that offers some hope for the future of democracy in these states, but asserts that the democratisation agenda cannot be fulfilled by the EU alone - many other actors will have to play their full part in the process.

The work will interest scholars and students of International Relations, Political Sciences, Government, and Human Rights.

Paul J. Kubicek is Associate Professor of Political Science at Oakland University, USA.