ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the democracy promotion approach in the EU's external relations using the example of post-socialist countries in Europe. It aims to uncover the reason for the variation in the EU's strategies. The introduction leads into the topic by generating and contextualising questions historically. Next, it sketches the codification of democracy promotion as a foreign policy, and extract the content of the policy as well as seek an understanding of democracy and its promotion. Finally, identify the means of EU's democracy promotion in respective foreign policy frameworks towards post-socialist Europe. The reality of democracy promotion by the EU and Western democracies, however, reveals a different picture: democracy promotion strategies are implemented neither universally nor consistently. In conclusion, democracy promotion as a means of foreign policy is determined by the objective of the relationship the EU intends to have with a respective country.
