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democratic multiparty elections;
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national parliaments with a free and active opposition and minority representation;
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a clear separation of powers;
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transparent decision-making processes;
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a functioning executive with independent public services and administration;
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an independent and well-functioning judiciary;
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effective systems to curb corruption.
While this list of preconditions is rather institutional and top-down in its orientation, it does shed light on the institutional infrastructure the EU considers non-negotiable when it comes to its member states. It also shows the scattered manner in which democracy is defined across different policy documents, mirroring the way democracy support is dealt with in various foreign policy documents. A similar list of key tenets can be found in those foreign policy documents, with more emphasis on the principles underpinning democracy rather than the institutional framework of the Copenhagenrelated documents. The EU Agenda for Action on Democracy is the EU external action document that comes closest to defining democracy in relation to democracy support abroad. It includes a mix of important elements of a democratic system, such as representation, pluralism, participation, transparency and accountability. While these are indeed important elements of a functioning democratic system of governance, they do not help set clear boundaries of what makes a state democratic. Some more detail can be found in other external action policies. The revised European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) of 2011, for instance, describes a number of key elements of deep democracy, including free and fair elections, freedom of association, expression and assembly, free press and media, the rule of law, an independent judiciary, pro-active efforts to tackle corruption, democratic control over the armed and security forces, civil society, gender equality and anti-discrimination.63 These different elements are somewhat more tangible than abstract preconditions like accountability and representation, although it is unclear what differentiates deep democracy from ‘regular’ democracy. Documents outlining areas of democracy support shed more light on the EU’s understanding of democracy. The regulation of the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) of 2014 is particularly insightful in this regard. This document details that democratisation includes the rule of law and the promotion and protection of civil and political rights such as freedom of expression
European Commission, Communication To The European Parliament, The Council, The European Economic And Social Committee, and the Committee of the Regions: A New Response To A Changing Neighbourhood (2011). Available here. 63
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