In recent years, relations between the European Union and Cambodia have deteriorated rapidly, raising broader questions about the limits of the EU normative influence in Southeast Asia and its ability to shape political outcomes in third countries. In Cambodia, a crucial turning point was reached during the campaign leading up to the 2018 elections, in which the main opposition party was prevented from participating. In fact, the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) was dissolved, and its leaders were banned from politics, which enabled the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) to secure victory without any credible opposition (Leang, 2023). This accelerated the deterioration of Cambodia’s relations with Western partners, at a time when reports of human rights violations, restrictions on freedom of expression, and repression of political dissent also intensified.
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