Henry Kissinger and the transition to democracy in Southern Europe

Henry Kissinger approached change in Southern Europe reluctantly as he thought that democratization entailed opportunities for currents of the Left that were deemed incompatible with US Cold War considerations. His influence in the unfolding of democratization, with the exception of Portugal, was limited. It should be taken into account though that US presence in Europe and NATO constituted a framework that influenced the conduct of Western and Southern European politics. It is the perception and the framework of bipolarity within which the success of Kissinger’s policy should be evaluated. In this context, his concerns and actions were not necessarily misplaced. © 2019, The Editor of the Journal.