A Wider Europe＂ Does the European Neighborhood Policy Work？

This article explores the European normative power of the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP). By analyzing EU democracy promotion for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, the author assesses EU normative capacity. Based on the analysis of EU democracy promotion and institutional impact in the six targeted states, the author argues that the EU has been a weak normative power in the region. Instead of building a “ring of friends” as argued by the EU Commission, in an enlarged democratic community, the EU has achieved poor democratic records in all six states, with Azerbaijan as the worst case and Georgia as the best. The result may call into question the idea of the EU as normative power and democracy promoter in European politics.