THE EU’S DEMOCRACY PROMOTION INITIATIVES IN SOUTH ASIA: PAST AND PRESENT

Abstract

The European Union (EU) and its member states have played a significant role in South Asia, consequently aligning with its fundamental principles, e.g., the rule of law, respect for human rights and minority rights, good governance, democracy, and equality based on values like inclusion, tolerance, justice, solidarity, and non-discrimination. The EU has always supported the promotion and consolidation of democracy, not only in South Asia bul olso across the world. In this sense, the study examines the EU’s democracy promotion initiatives in association with its programmes. This study addresses the literature gaps in the comparison of the EU’s democratic intervention with references from past and present perspectives. The article further investigates challenges in the region in the context of rising populism and satrapy in South Asia and its neighbourhoods. Afghanistan and Myanmar are the best examples of the current scenario. However, the rise of populist government has already been raised in Europe to challeange a liberal democracy, where positioning the EU’s role in democracy initiatives is questionable in terms of credibility and impactful promises.