Paper short abstract:

The time in between two elections appears as the crucial period when power relations are redefined and mutually challenged. To what extent the intrusion of an international power in a domestic sphere can modify its structure? To what extent European union decisions affect Ethiopia's government?

Paper long abstract:

Ethiopia established formal liberal institutions and started to hold elections in 1991. This allowed for the formal intervention of an actor such as the European Union in the national sphere, mainly through election observation. But such an intervention has constantly been contested, redefined as much as wanted and required. Democratic dialogue has been gradually informed by conventions, institution building but necessarily took place in a specific context. In Ethiopia, both actors, the European Union and Ethiopia displayed different strategies, sometimes using the same tools but showing how the interpretation of democratic governance and human rights can be different and leaves room to maneuver. Following the violent aftermath of 2005 elections, the European Union, with other international actors, decided to modify their channels for aid. But in return, the Ethiopian governement also impsoed conditions on activities run by international actors, thus imposing its own limits. Far from based on an international consensus, it reveals interdependency of both actors and constant reinvention of political space and diplomatic relations, playing with fragmentation of power, political sensitivity and definition of political order