On the margins of democracy : the EU’s legitimization of authoritarianism in Egypt

Abstract

The European Union’s response to the Arab Spring and July 3rd military coup in Egypt contested the normative power of the EU in international politics. Meanwhile it is praised for being a transnational liberal institution that upholding the principles of democracy and respect human rights, the EU’s reaction to the July 3rd military coup proves otherwise. After the January 25th revolution in Egypt, and during the democratic transition, the EU was able to speak its opinion about the state of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in Egypt. However, since the July 3rd military coup, the EU’s policy has been negligent to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, and more focused on stability and cooperation. This thesis examines the EU’s response to the democratic transition and military coup in Egypt, and how the EU was unable to engage its moral clauses when conducting relations with Sisi’s Egypt.