Ad
Kazakhstan wants to emulate Singapore's marriage of enlightened autocracy and economic modernisation - a strategy that imagines Kazakhstan as a Central Asian 'tiger' of high-tech start-ups and green innovation (Photo: Wikipedia)

Kazakhstan and the limits of Europe's 'democracy-promotion'

The collapse of Western nation-building efforts in Afghanistan brings to a final close an era that began with break-up of the Soviet Union 30 years ago. The hope was that with the end of communism and the decline of authoritarian rule more generally the world would move gradually and irreversibly towards a common destiny of political and economic freedom.

But as the EU was hailing the promotion of democracy as a "universal value" in its 2009 agenda for action,

Get EU news that matters

Back our independent journalism by becoming a supporting member

Already a member? Login here

Disclaimer

The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s, not those of EUobserver

Author Bio

David Clark was special adviser on Europe at the UK Foreign Office (1997-2001) and now works as an independent analyst specialising in foreign policy and European affairs.

Kazakhstan wants to emulate Singapore's marriage of enlightened autocracy and economic modernisation - a strategy that imagines Kazakhstan as a Central Asian 'tiger' of high-tech start-ups and green innovation (Photo: Wikipedia)

Tags

Author Bio

David Clark was special adviser on Europe at the UK Foreign Office (1997-2001) and now works as an independent analyst specialising in foreign policy and European affairs.

Ad

Related articles

Ad
Ad