Is the League of Democracies a Bad Idea? How Europe should Respond

CEPS Policy Brief No. 162, May 2008

6 Pages Posted: 28 Jan 2009

See all articles by Michael Emerson

Michael Emerson

Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS)

Richard Youngs

Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS)

Date Written: May 30, 2008

Abstract

The idea of an official organisation of democratic states wishing to promote democracy worldwide has surfaced periodically in recent years. In 2000 the Community of Democracies was inaugurated and survives as a body committed to supporting democratic change. Now the notion is gaining further currency. US Presidential candidate John McCain has advocated a League of Democracies. And analyst Robert Kagan, an advisor to McCain, has recently made a contribution on the subject. This paper by CEPS Senior Fellow Michael Emerson and Associate Senior Fellow Richard Youngs argues against a new organisation, but does advocate a serious concertation among relevant existing international organisations and seriously interested national governments to move pro-actively for democratic progress worldwide.

Keywords: EU Neighbourhood, Foreign Policy, Security Policy

Suggested Citation

Emerson, Michael and Youngs, Richard, Is the League of Democracies a Bad Idea? How Europe should Respond (May 30, 2008). CEPS Policy Brief No. 162, May 2008, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1334047

Michael Emerson (Contact Author)

Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) ( email )

1 Place du Congres
Brussels, 1000
Belgium

Richard Youngs

Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) ( email )

1 Place du Congres
Brussels, 1000
Belgium

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