The recent conclusions of the European Union’s Council on Democracy Support in the EU’s External Relations (Brussels, 17 November 2009) are a significant step in the right direction – a step that International IDEA warmly welcomes and sees as a strong echo of its own process of global consultations on the role of the EU in democracy building.
It is gratifying to note that key messages and recommendations contained in our report Democracy in Development – Global consultations on the EU’s role in democracy building have been heard and acknowledged precisely by those to whom they were addressed.
The EU Council’s conclusions may indeed be setting the ground for overcoming in practice the obsolete dichotomy between donors and beneficiaries in democracy support, and for the phasing-in of a new relationship of genuine partnership in which everyone has something to share and something to learn from others.
The very title of the “Conclusions” allows for such hopes as it clearly refers to “support” rather than “promotion” of democracy, a difference which goes beyond mere terminology. We are reassured that our reading of the title is correct when we read that “democracy cannot be imposed from outside” and that the EU remains committed to the “principles of ownership of development strategies and programmes by partner countries”.
The EU commits itself to “improving the coherence and effectiveness of its support to democracy”. It acknowledges “the multidimensional, complex and long term nature of democracy building processes”.
It affirms that there is “room for improvement in how existing EU policies are being implemented” emphasizing the need for “increased coherence, complementarity and coordination”. The Conclusions affirm “EU’s commitment to act in ‘genuine’ partnership with third countries”.
The EU Agenda for Action on Democracy Support annexed to the conclusions adds to the hopes that the anticipated changes will indeed be pursued and implemented beyond the current Swedish Presidency.
The stated intention to establish a list of pilot countries, to develop country-specific analyses, and the invitation to all responsible EU institutions to report back to the Council in 2010 on the progress achieved, confirms EU’s clear long-term engagement along the lines defined in the conclusions.
It is heartening to note that the Agenda is adopted not only as part of EU’s Development Assistance Policy, but should also be implemented within the Common Foreign and Security Policy. This point gives additional credibility to the commitment on coherence - a recurrent demand by partner developing countries.
Both the EU Council conclusions and the Agenda for Action are formulated in unambiguous language and contain clear commitments. This is no minor achievement, particularly when we consider the broader political landscape.
The EU will be facing multiple challenges in the months ahead: while coping with the effects of the economic crisis, it also has to undertake complex institutional changes to translate into practice the Lisbon Treaty; at the same time, it aspires to play a leading role in addressing the global problem of climate change and it is still searching a common voice with regard to its enlargement strategy and on delicate foreign policy issues such as the Middle East crisis or the recognition of Kosovo, to mention just a few.
On many of those and other issues EU’s endeavours to constructively engage with partners throughout the world will have greater chances of success if the changes announced in its Council’s conclusions materialize. In other terms, if Europe “walks the talk”, as succinctly augured by some regional actors in the multi-regional consultations facilitated by International IDEA.
The building of true partnerships takes time and, as we mentioned in earlier opportunities, democracy support still needs to recover its full credibility as it moves away from serious past mistakes and misgivings. The Swedish Presidency of the EU during the past six months has been instrumental in making the important first step. We can only hope that the necessary political leadership will be maintained and strengthened under EU’s new institutional arrangements deriving from the Lisbon Treaty.
Dialogue needs to go on and International IDEA remains committed to support by providing a credible platform as the only intergovernmental organization specifically mandated to support sustainable democracy, and with 25 Member States coming from developed and developing regions alike. This makes our organization a good midwife for the new democracy support paradigm.
Secretary-General, International IDEA
