EU Democracy Promotion in Tunisia and Morocco: Between Contextual Changes and Structural Continuity

Abstract

This paper offers an analysis of democracy promotion through the EIDHR in Morocco and Tunisia, before and after the Arab uprisings. It questions the effect of the Arab insurrections on the EIDHR and European Union democracy promotion. These policies are found to be shaped first and foremost by institutional determinants intrinsic to the EU but secondarily sensitive to the human rights realities in Morocco and Tunisia. Therefore, the Arab uprisings represent a contextual event that can trigger minor adjustments but certainly not truly challenge the essence of EU democracy promotion in the region.

Funding

This work was supported by the Belgian National Scientific Research Foundation (FNRS) (2008-2012) and the Van Buuren Foundation (2013).

Notes

^1. The interviews were conducted with European agents from the different institutional groups (delegations, Devco, Relex/EEAS), the European Parliament, as well as Moroccan and Tunisian NGOs, between 2010 and the end of 2012. Interviews were conducted in Brussels, Rabat and Tunis, mostly in person and a few by phone. The documents from the EIDHR, between 2006 and 2013, were strategy papers, annual action programmes, calls for proposal, lists of selected projects and final reports on the projects.

^2. European Commission website: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/neighbourhood/arab_spring/index_en.htm

^3. See Catherine Ashton and the Commission's communications ‘A partnership for democracy and shared prosperity with the southern Mediterranean’ and ‘A New Response to a changing Neighbourhood’.

^4. Adopted on 20 September 2011, granting €22m to projects targeting civil society in eastern and southern neighbourhoods.

^5. Support for partnership, reforms and inclusive growth, adopted on 26 September 2011, and granting €350m to projects in the Southern neighbourhood.

^6. Interviews, Devco EIDHR unit.

^7. Prior to this Instrument, the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights had existed since 1994 (see Bicchi, 2009, 2010).

^8. Interviews, Devco EIDHR unit.

^9. Interviews, EU delegation in Morocco, Devco EIDHR unit, EEAS (Maghreb desk).

^10. Interviews, DG Devco EIDHR unit, EEAS (Maghreb desk).

^11. Interviews, Devco EIDHR unit, EU delegation in Tunisia.

^12. Interview, Devco EIDHR unit.

^13. Interview, DG Relex (Tunisia desk).

^14. Interview, EEAS (Human Rights unit).

^15. Interviews, EU delegations in Morocco and Tunisia.

^16. Interview, EU delegation in Tunisia.

^17. See below, Section on ‘The EIDHR in Morocco from 2007 to 2013’.

^18. Ibid.

^19. See Table 2: the table highlights the main priorities of the different calls, in comparison with the political priorities established by bilateral cooperation in the context of the ENP.

^20. Interviews, EU delegation in Morocco.

^21. Ibid.

^22. Ibid.

^23. Ibid.

^24. Ibid.

^25. Interviews, Devco EIDHR unit, EEAS (Maghreb desk).

^26. Interviews, Devco EIDHR unit, EU delegation in Tunisia.

^27. Interview, EU delegation in Tunisia.

^28. Interviews, Devco EIDHR unit.

^29. Interviews, political advisors and MEPs.

^30. Interview, EU delegation in Tunisia.

^31. Interview, DG Relex (Tunisia desk).

^32. Interview, Tunisian NGO.

^33. Interview, Devco EIDHR unit.

^34. During my last trip in Tunisia, in May 2012, the agent I met at the Delegation was not aware of this project and did not have any information available.

^35. Interviews, Devco EIDHR unit, EU delegation in Tunisia, Tunisian NGOs.