ABSTRACT
The European Union (EU) has been in the business of democracy assistance for more than two decades, and one of its main target areas is its Southern neighborhood, and Arab countries in particular. It is thus legitimate to ask whether there is any relationship between the EU action and the Arab uprising, and in particular whether the EU has changed its policy in response to the dramatic developments in the area. While the Arab uprisings occurred in an unexpected manner, and it is impossible to claim any direct effect of the EU policy on them, the aim of this article is to trace the evolution of the EU democracy assistance policy toward Southern Mediterranean countries, to highlight the dimensions of its action and its capacity to respond to change.
