The European Union (EU) supports democratisation and fundamental freedoms in partner countries worldwide. Through political dialogue, the mainstreaming of democratic principles and specific development programmes, the EU seeks to support reform processes and democratic institution building in order to encourage political pluralism. Yet in many countries, the EU is confronted with a lack of democratic accountability and political checks and balances, a steady weakening of democratic institutions by ruling governments and a resulting decline in political rights for all. While Cambodia is experiencing an ongoing erosion of democratic foundations and high levels of corruption, Venezuela is amid a multidimensional crisis of ongoing human rights violations, the erosion of the rule of law and the dismantlement of democratic institutions. By providing first hand insights from these two countries, this closed-door debate will discuss opportunities for democratic developments in Cambodia and Venezuela and analyse how EU efforts can better support democratic change in a country-specific context.