The Future of Democracy Promotion: No More One-Size-Fits-All

How can the United States and Europe work together to promote democracy around the world?  That was the topic of discussion on June 29th as a distinguished panel--including former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Representative Vin Weber, and former Polish Prime Minister and current President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek—spoke at a National Democratic Institute event entitled "Transatlantic Dialogue: Strengthening Cooperation on Democracy Support."  One important conclusion: what works in one country (including the U.S.) may not succeed everywhere.

The participants began by acknowledging that after the tremendous successes of democratization in Eastern Europe after the fall of Communism in the late 1980s, there has been some "backsliding" lately as democracy has failed to take root in a number of countries.  Albright stressed that while people around the world share the same desire to make decisions about their own lives and choose their own governments, there has been a misunderstanding in the past of what democracy promotion should look like based on the assumption that the American model of democracy was most suitable for every nation.  Instead, Albright stressed the importance of looking at different democratic models to see which might work best in specific countries.  She added that democracy cannot be imposed—an idea she described as "an oxymoron"—rather, people must be given the "tools" to choose a democratic system that will work best for them.

The recent establishment of new democracies in Eastern Europe offers valuable lessons, the panel said—Buzek noted that Poland’s experience illustrates that democratic institutions and procedures, and contact with the outside world, are essential for democracy to take root in a formerly authoritarian country.  However, as Weber pointed out, not all of the world is Eastern Europe, and not all countries can develop democracy with the relative success that this region has enjoyed.  Albright said that our concept of democracy is more nuanced today than it used to be, and less focused on a one-size-fits-all model.  She also noted that "democracy is not an event, but a process."  The trajectory of democracy, Albright pointed out, is not always clear, even in countries which emerge as success stories.  Furthermore, when democracy does not "deliver" a better life for a country’s people, progress towards democracy development is threatened and countries may turn or revert to authoritarian governments.

All these potential pitfalls, the panel agreed, must be borne in mind as the U.S. and Europe work together to promote democracy in a world filled with unique countries and people.  A "one-size-fits-all" approach to democracy promotion will not work.