Democracy support ‘post-imperial-style’. UK and democracy in EU’s Southern and Eastern neighbourhood

SHARPEDEM-EU publication  22

This contribution aims at uncovering practices used by the United Kingdom (UK) to support democracy in EU’s Southern and Eastern neighbourhoods. The UK has actively employed its external policy to promote democracy in EU‘s Southern and Eastern Neighbourhoods. This has been influenced by its colonial history, internal democratic traditions, strategic interests, and also its relations with the EU, especially in the context of Brexit. In the South, particularly in the MENA region, the UK’s engagement intensified after the 2011 Arab uprisings, balancing support for democratic movements with maintaining strategic partnerships with some of the authoritarian regimes for the sake of stability and security. In the Eastern Neighbourhood, the UK’s influence has been shaped by historical relationships with Russia, its role in supporting EU policies, and post-Brexit ambitions. The UK prioritizes democracy support mainly in Belarus and Ukraine, emphasizing human rights, media independence, anticorruption, and parliamentary capacity-building.