It’s (not only) the security, stupid? NATO and democracy support in EU Southern and Eastern neighbourhood

SHAPEDEM-EU Publications 28

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), despite being established with the primary purpose of ensuring security in Europe, has incorporated democratic principles from the very beginning of its existence. NATO is considered more of a security community based on certain values, including democracy, rather than a purely interest-based international organisation. This contribution aims to map and identify the actions and discursive practices through which NATO has been instrumental in democracy support, specifically in the Southern and Eastern EU neighbourhoods. The analysis concludes that it is mainly the Eastern EU neighbours' democratic orders that have benefited the most, primarily through NATO’s programs directed at potential future members. In the South, NATO has mostly supported democracy through discursive practices.