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Governance, Power and Democracy Were the Three Headings for the Discussions by the Young Political Leaders from Eastern Europe and the Balkans

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Governance, Power and Democracy Were the Three Headings for the Discussions by the Young Political Leaders from Eastern Europe and the Balkans COUNCIL OF EUROPE Third Summer University for Democracy 29 June-4 July 2008 Governance, powers and democracy SYNTHESIS OF PLENARY SESSIONS AND CONFERENCES Directorate General of Democracy and Political Affairs Council of Europe, Strasbourg The opinions expressed in this work are the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the Council of Europe. All requests concerning the reproduction or translation of all or part of the document should be addressed to the Public Information and Publications Division, Directorate of Communication (F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex or [email protected]). All other correspondence concerning this publication should be addressed to the Directorate General of Democracy and Political Affairs. Contacts at the Council of Europe: Jean-Louis Laurens Director General of Democracy and Political Affairs E-mail: [email protected] Tel.: + 33 (0)3 88 41 20 73 François Friederich Co-ordinator of the Schools of Political Studies E-mail: [email protected] Tel.: + 33 (03) 90 21 53 02 Claude Bernard Programme Manager E-mail: [email protected] Tel.: + 33 (03) 88 41 22 75 website: www.coe.int www.coe.int/Schools-Politics/fr © Council of Europe, February 2009 Table of contents Introduction: From Summer University to “Davos of Democracy” ......................5 Chapter I. Democracy and governance issues ..............................................................7 1. Governance, discussion of the concept .................................................................................7 2. Components of good governance .........................................................................................10 3. The challenges of good governance ......................................................................................12 Chapter II. Governance and globalisation ....................................................................15 1. What is globalisation? ...........................................................................................................15 2. The search for global governance .........................................................................................18 Chapter III. Media, power and democracy ...................................................................21 1. Independent media: a vital part of democracy .....................................................................21 2. Protecting journalists and media independence .................................................................23 3. The new challenges for information professionals ..............................................................25 Chapter IV. Europe and its neighbours .........................................................................27 1. Eastern Europe, a region posing many challenges for Europe ............................................27 2. European instruments for greater stability in eastern Europe ............................................30 3. The United States, Greater Europe’s neighbour ..................................................................33 Conclusion: The Association of Schools of Political Studies: giving the European project meaning again .........................................37 Annex I: Programme of the Summer University for Democracy ...........................45 Annex II: List of participants ............................................................................................61 Annex III: Final Declaration .............................................................................................81 3 Introduction: From Summer University to “Davos of Democracy” “Our democratic health is as precarious as it is precious.” In opening the Third Summer University with those words, Terry Davis1 sent out a strong message to all the participants from eastern and south-eastern Europe: the main requirement for democrats is to be vigilant. However, adopting a defensive attitude towards those who may threaten a pluralist system governed by the rule of law is not enough. In 2005, at the Third Summit in Warsaw, Council of Europe Heads of State and Government concluded that “effective democracy and good governance at all levels are essential for preventing conflicts, promoting stability, facilitating economic and social progress, and hence for creating sustainable communities where people want to live and work, now and in the future”.2 The issue of governance, which is now central to all discussion of democracy, was therefore a rele- vant and topical theme for the 2008 Summer University of the Schools of Political Studies. Governance, power and democracy were the three headings for the discussions by the young political leaders from eastern Europe and the Balkans. A step change is about to take place in the exercise of political power. Globalisation is revealing the weakness of democracies by limiting the power and influence of political leaders and thereby undermining their legitimacy. The challenges for politics are no longer confined to the national level alone. It is this need to manage human problems at all levels which leads us, according to Mary Kaldor,3 to talk of governance. In a system where the people we elect are now merely negotiators, how can fresh energy be injected into democracy? In the opinion of Göran Lindblad,4 it is vital for elected representatives to keep their campaign promises if democracy is to thrive in the 21st century. Endorsing this moral imperative, Roland Ries5 said that more regular participation by citizens in the decision-making process was the key to modernising the democratic system and the secret of good governance. Local elected repre- sentatives must be able to “waste time” by consulting the public in advance so as to “save time later” by drawing up plans that meet the expectations of as many people as possible and are not subject to any challenges. Greater interaction of this kind between politicians and citizens demands considerable efforts in terms of education so as to avoid the pitfalls of demagogy. Meglena Kuneva6 saw good governance as a means of moving towards the knowledge-based society which Europe aims to become. In the words of the European Commissioner, “education will help us to take up the challenges of the future by enabling us to harness our human resources and make the most of our human potential. It is a priceless asset.” This new democratic imperative requires specific arrangements or techniques in terms of repre- sentation, consultation, decision-making and evaluation. This point highlighted by Bruno Gain7 raises a crucial question which was explored in the thematic workshops. What can be done so that good governance ensures optimum participation by all stakeholders in the decision-making process without forgetting civil society or undermining the state? 1. Secretary General of the Council of Europe. 2. Warsaw Declaration, http://www.coe.int/t/dcr/summit/. 3. Director of the Centre for the Study of Global Governance, London School of Economics. 4. Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Sweden. 5. Senator and Mayor of Strasbourg. 6. European Commissioner for Consumer Protection, European Commission. 7. Permanent Representative of France to the Council of Europe. 5 Third Summer University for Democracy – Synthesis of plenary sessions and conferences Beyond this question, governance is a complex issue insofar as it calls for a comprehensive review of the state of our democracies and, more broadly, of society. It was necessary to avoid the trap of addressing the concepts of “democracy”, “power” and “governance” in isolation from one another. The Third Summer University therefore afforded participants an opportunity to play Rubik’s Cube with the three concepts through questions which President Filip Vujanovic8 put during the open- ing session. Where are the boundaries between power and democracy? What influence do power and democracy exercise over governance? However, as pointed out by Per Sjögren,9 these inextri- cably linked concepts have corollaries which are also the focus of much debate: the rule of law, the media, citizen participation, the fight against corruption, the legitimacy of politics and the relation- ship with globalisation. The new generation of political leaders must be aware of all these issues to be tackled in their countries and, more generally, on a European and global level. This applies both to longstanding democracies and to newly established states such as Montenegro, which was cited as an example by its President. Lastly, the breadth of the subject discussed at the Third Summer University demonstrates the ambition of the programme. The Strasbourg Summer University for Democracy is set to become a benchmark annual event for all those working to establish and strengthen democracy in Europe and worldwide. It was in this spirit and with great resolve that François Friederich,10 supported by the Mayor of Strasbourg, voiced the hope that the capital of Europe and human rights would become the “Davos of Democracy”. “The plain of Alsace and the Swiss Alps, the leaders of the richest economies and the new generations of leaders from the former communist dictatorships, and the winter snow and summer sun all come together for these two annual meetings which at first sight are far removed from each other but actually are very close in their desire for constructive dialogue and exchanges.” 8. President of the Republic of Montenegro. 9. Permanent Representative of Sweden to the Council of
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