Abstract
The current image of European Union's democracy promotion is marred by the discrepancies of member states' attitude vis-à-vis the Chinese violation of the Human Rights. In contrast to most European countries, Great Britain and Germany have already claimed that they will not assist to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. So, is there a common conception of the democracy promotion in the European Union, and what is it?
As we have to do an audit of the European Union's democratic assistance, it would be interesting and pertinent to observe, on the one hand, the level of the European involvement in relation to the global trend of democracy promotion. And, on the other hand, we have to emphasize the particularities and the nature which characterize the European Union's aid. Indeed, if democracy promotion may be commonly defined as a support for a human and social development, an enhancement of Human Rights, good governance and an implementation of democratic mechanisms, the tools and the way of democratic assistance are always imbued with political and historical backgrounds of the promoter.
Furthermore, no one could deny that agendas and plans of democracy promotion programs are influenced by economic interests (Burnell, 2000, p4-5). Thus, if the European Union has lauded democracy, Human Rights and good governance as the main intents of their commitment to promote democracy, it has also implemented trade and economic relationship with developing countries. What are the aftermaths of the economic and political interests for the well conduce of democracy promotion? Do they imperil the assistance programs of the European Union or, in the contrary; do they motivate the European intervention? In addition, the European Union has to manage with the candidate countries which want to enter into the regionalization process.
