US/Europe Need to Work Together to Replicate the Democratic Success of the Last Twenty Years
October 16, 2006
"Understanding Democratic Transitions", Adrian Basora of FPRI


In "Understanding Democratic Transitions," a Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) publication, Adrian Basora argues that western persistence in supporting the post-communist democratically transitioning regimes across Europe and similar phenomenon in parts of Asia would "make an important contribution to addressing many of the problems that currently most concern Europeans and Americans."  The spread of democratic governments in the past twenty years to "19 of the 28" former Soviet-bloc states in Eastern Europe would have been a "wildly optimistic" prediction in 1986 according to Basora.  The author believes that the United States and Europe need to employ like-minded foreign policies that reflect these "lessons of history" to foster advancements in other democratically-deficient countries, a task that may appear as unlikely as what was considered "wildly optimistic" in 1986.

According to Basora the FPRI believes that "the challenges and the keys to success in building effective democracies and market economies offer important parallels from one country to another," contrary to the opposition viewpoint that each country is unique and merits different techniques.  He holds this to be especially true in former countries under Soviet-communist control.

Basora says that the building of civil society is a necessary but "arduous task," and that it is an "essential underpinning of a strong democracy."  He also believes that the international community can provide vital assistance in building successful democracies.  Institutions such as NATO and the EU have already played prominent roles in "accelerating Eastern Europe's reforms" according to Basora.  The report goes on to say that there are many other aspects of democratic transition that can be applied on a universal level, and there are "no essential preconditions" in states for democratization.

The FPRI report by Basora concludes that history shows us democracy is possible anywhere and it should be the policy of the international community to foster democratic development.  Basora believes that the advancements of democracy since the era of the "Iron Curtain" of the Cold War over the past twenty years provides a historical sense of optimism for the next two decades for non-democratic countries in regions of Eastern Europe, Asia, and "parts of the greater Middle East."

Editorial note: The founding of the International Centre for Democratic Transition in Budapest endorsed by the Community of Democracies' Biennial Ministerial Conference in Santiago in 2005 and the Budapest Centre's initiatives since, demonstrates the value of sharing the experience of democratic transitions in Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America with others seeking assistance in making such a transition in their own countries.

For related information, see International Centre for Democratic Transition.