Eastern and Western Perceptions on EU Aid in Light of the Arab Spring

The European Union welcomed the demonstrators' demands wholeheartedly during the Arab Spring, trying to maximize the assistance that it could offer to support genuine democratic transition, at least at a rhetorical level. This article reflects on the changes in the neighborhood policy by focusi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Democracy and security 2015-01, Vol.11 (1), p.60-82
Main Author: Paragi, Beata
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Arab Spring
Arab-Israeli conflict
Conditionality
Conditions
Democracy-Building
Development
Europe
European Union
Foreign Aid
Middle East
Perception
Public Opinion
Solidarity
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Summary:The European Union welcomed the demonstrators' demands wholeheartedly during the Arab Spring, trying to maximize the assistance that it could offer to support genuine democratic transition, at least at a rhetorical level. This article reflects on the changes in the neighborhood policy by focusing on public perceptions measured in Europe and in countries in close proximity to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. European views on solidarity are compared to local public opinion on EU involvement in the region. Recipient views in Jordan, Egypt, Palestine, and Israel are explored by analyzing relevant results of the Arab Barometer and Neighborhood Barometer surveys. Findings indicate that the Middle Eastern public opinion tends to appreciate the EU's gestures with the exception of Egypt, but conditionality is more in line with European public opinion.
ISSN:1741-9166
1555-5860
DOI:10.1080/17419166.2015.1006397