Does the European Union accession process foster democracy in EU candidate countries? Using the theory of external anchoring, the process of democratization in candidate countries has been examined...Show moreDoes the European Union accession process foster democracy in EU candidate countries? Using the theory of external anchoring, the process of democratization in candidate countries has been examined. The case of Turkey was used to show the EU’s democratization effects throughout the accession process. The European Union accession process does foster democratization in EU candidate countries. However, there are several reasons why the EU’s efforts are not as effective as intended. The appeal of EU membership requires consistency to be effective. But the accession process is subject to changing favoritism by EU member states. The inconsistency of the EU on demands in previous accession cases also undermines its effectiveness in more recent cases. Democratization requires both time to be anchored in a country, and incentive for the states to engage in it. For the candidate country’s decision-makers, the accession needs to be reachable in the short-term in order for it to have value. For the EU, accession is a process which requires time and certainty that the country has fulfilled all demands. A problem arises when the part of short-term benefits conflicts with the EU’s inclination for open-ended duration.Show less
