The EU’s Eastern Partnership Program in the Discourse of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Europe

Abstract

The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe is the largest pan-European party of liberal ideology. ALDE forms the third largest political group in the European Parliament, which in 2019 was reorganized into the “Renew Europe” faction. Several parties from the Eastern Partnership member-states, including Armenia, are members of ALDE. The article examines the party's and its corresponding political faction’s discourse on the EaP program. The study concludes that the EaP is viewed by ALDE as a successful EU foreign policy instrument. Both the party and the political faction consider the EaP program in the context of the EU enlargement, EU security and EU-Russia relations. The discourse on the EaP program also emphasizes liberal ideas.