Contributors 9

List of acronyms 13

Introduction

1. The EU and its Democracy Support: Discursive and Behavioural Practices, Contestation, Democratic (Un)Learning, by Christian Achrainer, Akram Ezzamouri, Daniela Huber and Michelle Pace. 19

1.1 Scope and research questions 22

1.2 A taxonomy of multilevel contestation within the EU 24

1.3 EU external practices and democracy 26

Conclusion 28

References 29

Part I: Taxonomies of European Contestations

2. Who Is to Blame? European Contesting Narratives to EU’s Democracy Support in Lebanon, by Giulia Daga 37

2.1 Mapping the actors: Who speaks in Europe about Lebanon’s democracy? 39

2.2 Mapping the contestation 41

Conclusion 50

References 53

3. European Contestations of EU Democracy Support in Palestine, by Christian Achrainer and Michelle Pace 57

3.1 Background: Context and pre-7 October narratives 58

3.2 Actors mapping and general contours of post-7 October narratives 61

3.3 Selected elements of EU narratives and contestation post-7 October 64

Conclusion 69

References 71

4. European Contestations of EU Democracy Support in Tunisia, by Vladimir Blaiotta 81

4.1 Framing the democratic backsliding in Tunisia 83

4.2 The incremental narrative 84

4.3 Tunisia backsliding with EU complicity? 87

Conclusion 90

References 91

5. European Contestations of EU Democracy Support in Armenia, Georgia and Ukraine, by Nona Mikhelidze, Andrea Gawrich, Fabian Schöppner, Anna Osypchuk and Anton Suslov 95

5.1 Historical turning points in Georgia, Armenia and Ukraine 96

5.2 Mapping key actors and analysing discourse on democracy support across historical turning points 99

Conclusion 121

References 128

Part II: Democraticness of European Foreign Policy Practices

6. EU Foreign Policy Practices and Democracy Support in Lebanon, by Jamil Mouawad, Karim Makdisi and Sarah Sabra 139

6.1 Migration and refugees 140

6.2 Security 143

6.3 Border management 144

6.4 Democracy and elections 146

6.5 Presidential elections 148

6.6 Trade 149

Conclusion 150

References 152

7. Democracy and Security in EU Foreign Policy Practices in Palestine, by Akram Ezzamouri 159

7.1 Defining the concept of democraticness 160

7.2 Assessing democraticness of EU foreign policy practices in Palestine 162

7.3 Absence of (un)learning 169

Conclusion 171

References 173

8. EU Security Practices and Democracy Support in Tunisia, by Akram Ezzamouri 175

8.1 Conceptual definition of democraticness 177

8.2 July 2021 and Tunisia’s critical juncture 178

8.3 From democratic security reform to security assistance 180 8.4 Assessing EU (un)learning in Tunisia 184

Conclusion 188

References 189

9. Between Security and Democracy Support: The EU’s Evolving Foreign Policy Engagement with Armenia, by Anastasiia Kudlenko, Alexandra Sabou and Aijan Sharshenova, with contribution from Antonella Aloia 193

9.1 Assessing democratic nature of EU foreign policy practices 195

9.2 Historic turning points in the EU-Armenia relations 2013-2023 and potential moments of epiphany 196

9.3 EU lessons learnt? 203

Conclusion 205

References 208

10. EU Foreign Policy Practices and Democracy Support in Ukraine, by Anna Osypchuk and Anton Suslov 213

10.1 Historic turning points in the EU-Ukraine relations since 2013 and potential moments of epiphany 214

10.2 Conclusion: EU lessons learnt? 223

References 225

11. EU Democracy Support and Civil Society in Georgia, by Nona Mikhelidze 229

11.1 Analytical Framework and Research Questions 230

11.2 EU Civil Society Support in Georgia: An Overview 231

11.3 EaP Civil Society Forum: A Case of the Georgian National Platform 234

Conclusions 237

References 239

Conclusion

12. Fragmented Practices, Shared Lessons: EU Democracy Support in the Eastern and Southern Neighbourhoods, by Akram Ezzamouri 245

12.1 Fragmented democratic practices in the EU’s neighbourhoods 246

12.2 Perceptions of EU democracy support in the neighbourhoods 252

12.3 Putting the democracy learning loop into practice 253

References 256