Neighbour policy and Democracy Index: an analysis of the EU's impact on democratization in North Africa

The European Union(EU) has long promoted the democratization of North African countries through the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), which provides economic assistance. However, as the political consequences of the "democratic regression"that take place in North Africa, the role of the ENP in promoting the democratization of North African countries has been questioned. This paper analyzes the link between the ENP and the political situation in North Africa based on the changes in the Democracy Index of five North African countries from 2010-2022, as compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit(EIU), and assesses its effectiveness. As a result, although the EU has contributed to the democratization process in North Africa in some areas through the ENP, the contradiction between its interests and its ideas has made it less and less effective in practice and undermined the EU's reputation among North African populations.
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