Samenvatting

This thesis focuses on the promotion of democracy by the European Union in Egypt with special regard to the differences before and after the so called 'Arab Spring'. More specific, the guiding question of this thesis is in what extent the EU's promotion of democracy in Egypt has changed after the Arab Spring.
With the ending of the Second World War the notion, on the international agenda, of democracy became an important form of governing in a country. As a results started the European Union started implement new policies that enabled the transnational promotion of democracy. During the two decades that followed a range of perceptions, instruments and measurements were implemented in order to assist in the transition to democracy. Offering help to reform the governmental situation became one of the main priorities on the European Union's external Agenda ever since. When the so called Arab Spring erupted, it surprised both the countries in the Middle East and North Africa and the rest of the world. Since the Arab Spring, that started in late 2010, the European Union had to change its external policy as a response to the changing governmental situations.
This study explores the components of democracy and the perceptions of the promotion of democracy by the European Union are included. This thesis is primarily based on the comparison between the policies by the European Union's policies on democracy promotion in Egypt before and after the Arab Spring. Additionally is this thesis explaining whether the European policies on democracy promotion can be seen as a political or a developmental approach. Official documents for democracy promotion by the European Union will be analyzed. Furthermore, is research, regarding EU democracy promotion, done by experts, think tanks and universities included in this work. A critical perspective is needed in order to analyze the promotion of democracy by the European Union and its differences since the Arab Spring.
This thesis illustrates that there have been significant changes in the promotion of democracy by the European Union in Egypt. Elements such as the methods, perspectives, goals and definitions have become more specific since the beginning of 2011. Furthermore with the introduction of the most recent initiative, the European Endowment for Democracy, are bureaucratic European hurdles dodged. This thesis also assumes that European Union's democracy promotion is adapting its strategy every time when there is transition in Egypt.
Keywords: democracy promotion, developmental approach, political approach, Egypt, European Union, Arab Spring