Conclusions

The aim of this thesis was to explain different regime outcomes and the variance in the degree of democracy in post-Soviet space by studying the influence of the two main external actors, the EU and Russia. This thesis contributes to the increasing body of literature that studies the causes of democratic recession and authoritarian backlash in post-Soviet states and the role of external actors in these processes. The main focus of the study was on two most important regional actors – the EU and Russia – and on their interaction in the post-Soviet area.