Arab autocracies were thought to be extremely stable and Muslim countries seemed to have no significant civil society. However, the Arab Spring proved that these assumptions were wrong and put the EU in an extremely difficult situation regarding its legitimacy. It revealed the credibility gap between the EU rhetoric on democracy promotion and the policies made on the ground. According to Annette Jünemann, the reaction of the EU was “too little too late”. The previous neglect of civil society and political Islam makes it difficult for the EU to establish new channels of communication with new Southern political actors.