Workshop
Details
In recent years critics on the lack of a European concept of systematic promotion of democracy worldwide have intensified – from inside and from outside the EU. The challenges are immense and seem to be growing by the year. Some of the most obvious are
•The growing authoritarian character of the formally democratic regimes in Russia and
Central Asia,
•Backlash and instability in young democracies after peaceful revolutions – like
Ukraine or Georgia - and in the Southeast-Asian democracy showcases Thailand and the
Philippines,
•The perspectives of fundamentalist-islamistic victories in potential democratic
elections in the existing dictatorial regimes in the Middle-East and in North-
Africa,
•The growing influence of anti-democratic populism in South-America,
•The oppression of civil society and political opposition in many African countries
in spite of democratic constitution and institutions,
•The reluctance of China and Vietnam to permit democratic developments even decades
after successful economic liberalization and impressive changes in society.
Democracy, Good Governance and the Respect for Human Rights are not the norm in the majority of the countries outside the EU.
In a globalized world the weakness of democracy creates serious problems for the European democracies. This weakness nourishes wars and violent clashes, the destabilization of states, migration and refugee catastrophes, terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass-destruction and serious disturbances of the world economy.
After the obvious failures of the American strategy of democracy promotion through regime change by exogenous interventions the drafting of a realistic and effective European concept of democracy promotion is more urgent than ever.
This dialogue with stakeholders in European Democracy Promotion is based on more than 40 years experience in worldwide democracy promotion of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, one of the German Political Foundations, which are considered to be key actors of democracy promotion in the foreign policy of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Worldwide Promotion of Democracy – Challenges, Role and Strategy of the European Union
June 5th, 2007
14:00 Welcome to the participants
Frank Spengler, Deputy Head of Department of International Cooperation, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Berlin
Chair/Moderator
Peter Köppinger, Project Director, Dialogue on Development Policy, European Office
of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Brussels
Introduction to the topic and objectives of the workshop
Elmar Brok, Member of European Parliament, Committee onForeign Affairs
14:30 Key Note Speech (1)
Democracy Promotion – Key to Peace, Stability and Development in a Globalised
World
Karin Kortmann, State Secretary, Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development,
FR of Germany
15:00 Panel One
Chair and Introduction
Dr. Cor Van Beuningen, Director, Socires, The Netherlands
Democracy Promotion – Definition, Priorities, Preconditions
15:15 Panellists
Dr. Hauke Hartmann, Project Manager, Bertelsmann Stiftung
Kristina Kausch, Researcher, Fundácion par alas Relaciones Internacionales y el
Dialogo Exterior (FRIDE), Madrid
Dr. Eduard Westreicher, Director, Unit, Democratisation, Gender and Human Rights,
Federal Ministry of Economic Development and Cooperation
16:00Open Discussion
16:45 Tea/Coffee Break
17:00Panel Two
Internal Actors, External Actors: Country Categories, Country Approaches
Chair/Moderator
Frank Spengler, Deputy Head of Department of International Cooperation, Konrad-
Adenauer-Stiftung, Berlin
17:15 Panellists
Roel von Meijenfeldt, Director, Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy
Vidar Helgesen, Secretary-General, International Institute for Democracy and
Electoral Assistance (IDEA), Stockholm
Julia Leininger, Department Competitiveness and Social Development, Political
Scientist,German Development Institute, Bonn
18:00 Open Discussion
18:30 Conclusions of the day: Dr. Karsten Grabow, Research Associate, Konrad-Adenauer-
Stiftung, Berlin
June 6th, 2007
08:30Meeting at the Hotel Lobby, Transfer to the European Office of Konrad-Adenauer-
Stiftung
Chair/Moderator
Eva Maaten, EU Liaison Manager, Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung
9:30 Key Note Speech (2)
The European Union – Key Actor in Worldwide Democracy Promotion
Daniele Smadja, Director, Multilateral Relations and Human Rights, DG External
Relations, European Commission
10:00 Open Discussion
10:30 Tea/Coffee Break
11:00Panel Three
The Perspectives of the EU Approach – Targets, Expected Results, Instruments
Chair and Introduction
Michael Gahler, Member of the European Parliament, Vice Chairman of the Foreign
Affairs Committee
11:15 Panellists
Anette Hübinger, Member of the German Bundestag
Sean O’Regan, Policy Advisor, Policy Planning and Early
Warning Unit, General Secretariat of the Council of the EU
Jean Bossuyt, Programme Coordinator in the Actors of Partnership Programme, European
Center for Development Policy Management
Rolf Timans, Head of Unit, Human Rights and Democratisation, DG External Relations,
European Commission
12:00 Open Discussion
12:45 Conclusions of the Workshop
Dr. Peter Köppinger, Project Director, Dialogue on Development Policy, European
Office of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Brussels (confirmed)
13:15End of the Workshop