ABSTRACT
This chapter concentrates on emphasis on democracy promotion and investigates policy implementation in Africa through a case-study of Ghana. It examines the democracy assistance programmes of European Union (EU) actors in Ghana, that is the European Commission and the governments of Member States. The chapter presents two questions. First, is the objective of 'civil society strengthening' another example of 'policy evaporation', where policy intentions fail to be followed through in practice? Second, what type of civil society are EU actors trying to construct, and what does this inform us about their underlying concept of civil society and its relationship to democratization? The chapter examines EU democracy promotion policy, and highlights the emphasis placed on civil society strengthening. It indicates the high profile of objectives in EU development cooperation and foreign policy. The chapter also examines EU civil society assistance in Ghana.
