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GA IV: Democracy in the Post Communist World
Unfinished Business. What has been learned and how can it be applied?
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“This year’s General Assembly and Annual Conference offers us an excellent opportunity to share experiences and learn directly from those people who have been involved in processes of transition and have played a very important role in them, learn from their good actions and also from their mistakes” notes Fernando Henrique Cardoso, president of the Club of Madrid and former president of Brazil.
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Under the title “Democracy in the Post Communist World: Unfinished Business. What has been learned and how can it be applied?” the Club of Madrid, whose members are all former Heads of State and Government who share a commitment to democracy and democratic values, studied the trajectories and contrasting outcomes of transitions to democracy in the former communist countries of Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, as well as in post-Soviet Central Asia.
Over 25 former Heads of State and Government, more than 30 scholars and experts practitioners together with more than 120 guests from leading national and international institutions have met in Prague to discuss the lessons learnt from the transitions in post communist countries 16 years after the massive political regime changes occurred in Europe and Central Asia.
The Club of Madrid calls on leaders to respect the rights of citizens and adhere to international standards of democracy and human rights
Kim Campbell, Fernando H. Cardoso, Mary Robinson, Václav Havel
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George Soros, Fernando H. Cardoso, Cyril Svoboda, Václav Havel
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Madrid and Prague, November 12, 2005 - The Club of Madrid has released an initial set of policy recommendations that can be useful in furthering the consolidation of democracy in countries that have experienced successful transitions and facilitate democracy in post communist countries where transitions failed. These proposals are the result of the deliberations that took place during the CoM IV General Assembly and Annual Conference.
The Club of Madrid has just released a final statement that recognizes the outstanding achievements made in Central and Eastern Europe in constructing the key components of free democratic states, particularly in the field of human rights, rule of law, an independent judiciary, strong political parties, free and independent media, responsive government and engaged citizens.
The statement of the CoM asserts the interdependence of democratic progress and socioeconomic reforms; encourages the work by nongovernmental organizations, trade unions, the business sector and the media, due to the role they play in keeping governing bodies accountable, honest and respectful of the rule of law; recognizes the contribution of the European Union to the process of democratic transition in Central and Eastern Europe; and commits, as part of its mission, to participate actively in promoting and helping to consolidate democracy across Central and Eastern Europe as well as in other regions and countries around the world. The Club of Madrid will shortly release a final report with recommendations for a concrete agenda for action.
Petre Roman, Lionel Jospin
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George Soros, Fernando H. Cardoso
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Fernando H. Cardoso, Cyril Svoboda, Václav Havel, Kim Campbell
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Plenary session
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At the press conference that took place, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, President of the Club of Madrid and Former President of Brazil, announced the nomination of Ricardo Lagos as his successor to the highest post at the Club of Madrid. President Lagos, couldn’t attend the meeting but Ernesto Ottone, his Principal Advisor, was present at the meetings and expressed the President’s satisfaction of being elected for the position and to be given the opportunity to guide Club of Madrid activities.
Three working groups composed of academics, expert practitioners and Club of Madrid members, all democratic former Heads of State and Government, examined three issues: Democracy and authoritarianism in the post communist world; the political economy of Central and Eastern Europe; and the European Union and the promotion of democracy in Central and Eastern Europe.
A crowded auditorium listened to a plenary formed by Valdis Birkavs, former Prime Minister of Latvia; Kim Campbell, former Prime Minister of Canada and Secretary General of the CoM; William J. Clinton, former President of the USA and Honorary Co-Chair of the Club of Madrid; Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former President of Brazil; Elisabeth Guigou, Former Minister of European Affairs of Justice and of Employment of France; Felipe González, former Prime Minister of Spain; and Václav Havel, former President of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic. From their individual perspectives and experiences, they each addressed the central topic of lessons learnt from the Central and Eastern European democratic transitions and their applicability to the challenges of democratic practice around the globe, agreeing about the importance of national identity and the specificity of each situation throughout this process.
Cardoso talked about the “crisis of identity rather than the crisis of democracy”, while Clinton emphasized that the Club of Madrid should continue to work in divided societies providing solutions to injustice and lack of democratic accountability. He highlighted the role played by civil society in all transitions “civil society gives texture to democracy”, and the time needed for changes to occur “in all places in transition we have to tell people that transitions are long journeys”, he said.
All participants remarked the work undertaken by the Club of Madrid in the strengthening of democracy worldwide, and the need to use the knowledge acquired by its members while in office. To this regard, González declared the responsibility of politicians in using their know how to make the world a better place “I do not know if a different world is possible, but what I am sure of is that the one that we live in can be improved.”
Final statement Club de Madrid General Assembly
Club of Madrid
Kim Campbell, Cyril Svoboda, Fernando H. Cardoso
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J. Christer Elfverson, Sadig Al Mahdi, Petre Roman
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Fernando H. Cardoso, Kim Campbell
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Cassam Uteem, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir
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William J. Clinton, Kim Campbell, Fernando H. Cardoso
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Václav Havel, Milan Kučan, Fernando H. Cardoso, William J. Clinton
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Hong Koo Lee, Jennifer Mary Shipley
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Felipe González, Václav Havel, William J. Clinton, Fernando H. Cardoso
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Jafar M. Al-Shayeb, Sadig Al Mahdi
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Fernando H. Cardoso, Mary Robinson, Lionel Jospin
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Working Group session
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Working Group I
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Working Group session
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Osvaldo Hurtado, Mary Robinson, Sadig Al Mahdi
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William J. Clinton, Kim Campbell
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Václav Havel, William J. Clinton
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Milan Kučan, Fernando H. Cardoso, William J. Clinton
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Mary Robinson, Fernando H. Cardoso, Kim Campbell
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William J. Clinton, Lionel Jospin
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Belisario Betancur, Felipe González, Petre Roman, Milan Kučan, António Guterres, César Gaviria, José María Figueres, Fernando H. Cardoso, William J. Clinton, Mary Robinson
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Cassam Uteem, Petre Roman, Rexhep Meidani, Belisario Betancur, José María Figueres, César Gaviria, Mascarenhas Monteiro, George Soros, Kim Campbell, Fernando H. Cardoso, Václav Havel
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Club of Madrid Members
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