Cultural drivers and barriers to democratisation

This paper examines the role of religious institutions as cultural drivers and barriers to democratisation in the EU’s eastern neighbourhood, focusing on Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. It situates the analysis within broader political culture debates, which emphasise that democratisation is not determined solely by formal institutions or socio-economic development, but also by underlying societal values such as trust, participation, tolerance, and civic engagement. While these values are widely associated with democratic consolidation, the paper argues that their effects are mediated through concrete institutional actors – most notably religious organisations – which shape, translate, and sometimes distort their democratic potential.