European aid and democracy support to MENA countries after the Arab Uprisings: A critical juncture missed

The Arab Uprisings represent a critical juncture for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), even though they did not result in the democratic change that many expected at the time. To what extent do European development donors use aid to support democracy in MENA countries when faced by such a critical juncture? We examine the policy and operational responses of four major European donors: France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the European Institutions. Based on policy documents and development aid data from the OEDC-DAC database, our analysis shows that Europeans expressed rhetorical support for MENA democracy, but set very different country and thematic priorities and did not coordinate their aid responses with each other. Donors focused on an indirect developmental approach, rather than a direct political approach, to democracy support. Aid policies and practices became increasingly securitized, with the negative effect of strengthening authoritarian regimes. The lesson of the Arab Uprisings is the need for a coordinated approach among donors focused on political democracy support, in order to be prepared for future critical junctures that could lead to democratization.