Book: Democracy Building and Democracy Erosion

Eberhard Kienle is the editor of a contributed volume on "Democracy Building and Democracy Erosion: Political Change North and South of the Mediterranean" (Saqi Books, October 2009):

www.saqibooks.com/saqi/display.asp?K=9780863566295

Publisher's description: "Favouring transitions to democracy on the southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean was a key objective of the European Union and its member states when they prepared the Barcelona conference in 1995. But European Neighbourhood policies have failed to promote democracy. While the authors remain sensitive to changes that ultimately may translate into greater participation and respect for civil liberty, they also set out to explain why certain short-term goals of the EU are undermining its democratic principles. However, the crucial question – especially after 9/11 – is whether the erosion of democracy in the North has affected the promotion of democracy in the South. Failure of democracy in the South may well be linked to the erosion of democracy on a global scale."

The book includes chapters such as "Comparative De-Democratisation: Backsliding in the West, Sinking in the South" (Robert Springborn), "Absent Transitions from Authoritarianism in the South or Erosion of Democracy on a Global Scale?" (Eberhard Kienle), "Authoritarian Islands in Pluralist Democracies" (Gilles Massardier), and "Challenges to Established Democracies: The Italian Example" (Marc Lazar).

Eberhard Kienle is Research Director at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).