The author explores the practice and effects of the European Union's democracy promotion efforts vis-à-vis its authoritarian neighbours in the Middle East and North Africa. She argues that the same set of factors facilitated both international cooperation of authoritarian regimes on democracy promotion and their persistence during the Arab Spring.

Autorentext

Vera van Hüllen is Assistant Professor in International Relations at Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, Germany. Her research investigates the role of regional organizations in international democracy promotion and regime dynamics in the Middle East and North Africa, in particular in light of the 'Arab Spring'. She recently co-edited the collection Governance Transfer by Regional Organizations: Patching Together a Global Script (with T. Börzel, 2015).

Inhalt

1. Introduction
2. From Democracy Promotion to Cooperation
3. Regional Patterns of Cooperation
4. Variation in Cooperation
5. Authoritarian Survival Strategies and Cooperation
6. The Arab Spring and Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation
7. Conclusions