Human Rights and Democracy in EU Foreign Policy: The Cases of Ukraine and Egypt (Routledge Advances in European Politics)

This book investigates the disparity between rhetoric and performance in the European Union response to abuses of human rights and transgression of democracy. With the Arab spring putting the spotlight on the EU’s self-portrait as committed to promoting global human rights and democracy, this book examines the paradoxes of its international posture and the inconsistencies and double standards of its policies. With an informative and empirical approach examining EU relations since the end of the Cold War, this book seeks to uncover the reasons behind the Union’s actions and understand the foreign policy dilemmas and processes that guide its action. Including detailed analysis of Ukraine and Egypt, and the EU response to momentous changes for neighbouring nations, the author draws upon thoroughly-researched investigation into twenty years of EU foreign policy to create a framework using both EU Studies and International Relations. Providing a deeper analysis than other dominant explanations, this book presents new theories on the reasons behind the mismatch between words and deeds. An invaluable and timely volume, Human Rights and Democracy in EU Foreign Policy will be of interest to students and scholars of EU politics, International Relations and human rights policy. Human Rights and Democracy in EU Foreign Policy The cases of Ukraine and Egypt 8 Copyright 9 Contents 10 List of tables 14 Abbreviations 16 Acknowledgements 18 Preface 20 1 Introduction 22 1.1 Paradoxes of EU policies for human rights and democracy 22 1.2 Rhetoric and practice. The reasons behind the gap 25 1.3 EU definitions of human rights and democracy 26 1.4 Human rights and democracy in Ukraine and Egypt: the challenges to EU foreign policy 28 1.5 Organization of the book 33 1.6 Conclusions 34 2 Human rights and democracy in EU foreign policy: the search for an analytical framework 37 2.1 Introduction 37 2.2 Why would states pursue human rights and democracy? 37 2.3 The complexity of the EU foreign policy system 42 2.4 The research agenda 47 2.5 Conclusions 50 3 Rhetoric and tools: the genesis of EU human rights and democracy policies 52 3.1 The emergence of human rights and democracy in the EU foreign policy agenda 52 3.2 Integrating human rights and democracy in EU foreign policies 55 3.3 The tools to implement human rights and democracy policies 57 3.4 Conclusions: explaining the emergence of the human rights and democracy agenda 66 4 Reluctant engagement: EU foreign policy towards Ukraine 69 4.1 Introduction 69 4.2 The foreign relations of a state in search of sovereignty 69 4.3 Reshaping the map of Europe 71 4.4 In search of a strategy: the 2000s 76 4.5 Conclusions: explaining EU policy towards Ukraine 82 5 Implementing human rights and democracy: press freedom in Ukraine 84 5.1 Introduction 84 5.2 The case of Georgy Gongadze and the deterioration of press freedom 85 5.3 EU policy on press freedom 87 5.4 Explaining the EU’s response 91 5.5 Conclusions 96 6 Implementing human rights and democracy: elections in Ukraine and the Orange Revolution 98 6.1 Introduction 98 6.2 The conduct of elections in Ukraine 98 6.3 The response of the EU 101 6.4 Explaining the EU response 104 6.5 Conclusions 108 7 The search for an EU policy towards Egypt 111 7.1 Introduction 111 7.2 Egypt’s regional and global role 112 7.3 Relations with Europe 113 7.4 Institutionalizing EU–Egypt relations 116 7.5 Conclusions 121 8 Implementing human rights and democracy: torture in Egypt 125 8.1 Introduction 125 8.2 The practice of torture in Egypt 126 8.3 EU policy on Torture 128 8.4 Explaining the EU response 135 8.5 Conclusions 138 9 Implementing human rights and democracy: elections in Egypt 142 9.1 Introduction 142 9.2 The conduct of elections in Egypt 143 9.3 The responses of the EU 146 9.4 Explaining the EU response 150 9.5 Conclusions 151 10 Conclusions 157 10.1 Introduction 157 10.2 The EU and human rights and democracy in Ukraine and Egypt 158 10.3 EU Foreign Policy 164 10.4 Conclusions 167 Annexes 169 Notes 177 References 194 Index 217 The Cases of Ukraine and Egypt Rosa Balfour. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.