International Aid for Good Governance: Evaluating the EU’s Neighborhood Policy Impact in the MENA region

Abstract

Starting from the question “Can external aid establish good governance practices and support democracy in the MENA region?”, this chapter investigates how international aid can support democracy and good governance in developing countries, taking as a case, the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) toward the MENA region (Southern Mediterranean). Here the idea is to understand how such policies work, at what level the priorities of the donor part, and the challenges faced in the receiving countries are balanced. Moreover, to evaluate the impact of the implemented policy in the targeted countries, its achievements, and limitations. Last, we will be looking at how the ENP adapts to the political, social and economic changes faced in the MENA regions, for example, the Arab Uprising and Covid-19.