ABSTRACT
In Chapter 2 of this volume, Obydenkova and Libman presented a multilevel analysis of the literature on the effects of external influences on regime transition in post-Soviet states. They highlighted the fact that research on external influences has mostly been focused on the analysis of democratization processes at the national level or subnational level. There have been no studies of external influences across levels, e.g. how external actors encourage developments at the supranational level, which in turn influence national regime transition. This chapter seeks to contribute to the literature on external influences in post-Soviet countries by examining the role of the European Union (EU) in initiating bottom-up changes at the supranational level in the Eastern Partnership, a regional dimension of its European Neighbourhood Policy.
