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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