06_EU development aid for government and civil society by sectors_GW

EU support for government and civil society covers a wide variety of actions (see Figure 5). Some of these aim at reinforcing governments’ capacity to deliver (administrative and public finance management, decentralisation, legal and judicial reform, etc.) while others support democratic actors (e.g. legislatures and political parties) and actions (elections, democratic participation, etc.). Support directed at improving good governance in general, such as through better management of public finances or anti-corruption measures, is expected to strengthen democratic institutions and to create democratic openings where these are absent, but its efficacy in promoting democratisation, particularly in authoritarian regimes, remains controversial.