Event reports
During his program in Washington, DC, Dr. Jürgen Rüttgers, former Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia and former Federal Minister in the cabinet of Helmut Kohl met with elected officials, policy experts and members of the international development community to discuss the role of governments, multilateral institutions and the private sector in promoting democracy and freedom based on values.
On June 4, 2013, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung organized a roundtable breakfast discussion with senior conservative policy experts engaged in the transatlantic dialogue. In a time of transition and turmoil in many regions of the world, in particular in the Middle East and North Africa - a region Dr. Rüttgers follows very closely - Dr. Rüttgers and the participants shared their experiences about the establishment of conservative values and discussed how these values help to promote freedom and democracy across the globe.
Dr. Rüttgers introduced the conversation with his personal insights on conservative values, which he has achieved through his lengthy experience as a member of the German government. He first stressed that the rule of law is the foundation of democracy, and contrasted the values of progressive and conservative values. He pointed out that progressive policies rely on an ever-adapting progression to make the world better, while conservative policies place value on preserving what is already good and change policies only if it is apparent that those changes will bring improvements.
Dr. Rüttgers offered a definition of what it means to be conservative. In his view, a conservative position must also have compassion. One person should have one vote. And the values should not be based in materialism.
He further offered his belief that to successfully spread conservative values in other parts of the world, it is important for conservative activists to maintain their values, be for all people, and recognize the challenges of time. To appeal to more than just stalwarts, conservatives must appeal to all in not only economic policies but also social policies.
In the following open exchange with participants, it was emphasized that democracy can only be understood as a process. The lessons of the past have to be kept in mind and need to be applied on new grounds. One expert in the American judicial system offered the perspective that American law is a dynamic process, and that even the most conservative judges must interpret the law in a modern context.
In terms of developing democracy, the participants noted that it is always necessary to consider a country’s background and remember that establishing a democracy can be a complicated and uncomfortable process. It was agreed that one of the most critical challenges is effective communication with cultures that may not understand the values the western countries share. It was also noted that success can be found. One of the biggest achievements was the victory in the Cold War.
By organizing this event, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung brought together experts from both sides of the Atlantic to exchange their experiences in democracy development. In doing so, KAS contributed to spreading best practices in the field of promotion of democracy and freedom and helped to strengthen the transatlantic dialogue.