Supporting democracy abroad: an assessment of leading powers

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Faust, Jörg / Julia Leininger
Externe Publikationen (2014)

Washington D.C.: Freedom House

In this report, the authors analyze Germany’s support to democracy. Human rights and democracy have been core values of German foreign policy since the foundation of the Federal Republic in 1949. Germany predominantly draws on civic and peaceful means to promote human rights and democracy. Its substantial democracy aid is determined in part by recipient countries’ level of governance.
German governments have sometimes hesitated to demand democratization in authoritarian regimes, tending to criticize electoral fraud where democracy has already taken root. In general, German governments have tried to consistently link their democracy promotion strategies with the foreign policy of the European Union (EU). The country’s political foundations also play a significant role in democracy promotion. Similar to other major European countries, democracy promotion is restricted in cases where economic interests are dominant, as in relationships with China or Russia.