Link to the University of Pittsburgh
Link to the University Library SystemContact us link
AEI Banner

Interrogating the European Union’s Democracy Promotion Agenda: Discursive Configurations of ‘Democracy’ from the Middle East

Pace, Michelle (2009) Interrogating the European Union’s Democracy Promotion Agenda: Discursive Configurations of ‘Democracy’ from the Middle East. In: UNSPECIFIED. (Unpublished)

[img]
Preview
PDF - Published Version
Download (129Kb) | Preview

    Abstract

    Following the electoral victory of Hamas in the Palestinian elections of January 2006, the international community reacted by suspending aid to the democratically elected Hamas government. Across Middle Eastern societies, this move and the events that followed since, ushered in a complete loss of credibility in the discourse of external actors like the European Union (EU) and their declared quest for promoting democracy in the region. Are we witnessing the demise of the EU’s democracy promotion agenda given the perception from the Middle East (ME) in regard to its inconsistent discourse? This article aims to address how a critical engagement with the ways in which the EU constructs itself as a normative power, in its attempts at exporting its model of liberal democracy, might shed light on questions central to contemporary EU-ME relations. In particular, it focuses on how an inquiry into political grammars might illuminate discursive configurations of ‘democracy’ in the ME. By way of conclusion, the article holds that the EU’s discourse on democracy promotion in the ME can be reframed and this process of reframing need not negate its principles.

    Export/Citation:EndNote | BibTeX | Dublin Core | ASCII (Chicago style) | HTML Citation | OpenURL
    Social Networking:
    Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item (UNSPECIFIED)
    Subjects for non-EU documents: EU policies and themes > External relations > EU-Middle East
    EU policies and themes > External relations > EU-Islam
    EU policies and themes > External relations > human rights & democracy initiatives
    Subjects for EU documents: UNSPECIFIED
    EU Series and Periodicals: UNSPECIFIED
    EU Annual Reports: UNSPECIFIED
    Conference: European Union Studies Association (EUSA) > Biennial Conference > 2009 (11th), April 23-25, 2009
    Depositing User: Phil Wilkin
    Official EU Document: No
    Language: English
    Date Deposited: 19 Aug 2012 16:57
    Number of Pages: 19
    Last Modified: 19 Aug 2012 16:57
    URI: http://aei.pitt.edu/id/eprint/33115

    Actions (login required)

    View Item

    Document Downloads