University of Sussex Department of International Relations Falmer, Brighton, 23 October 2007 Can Democracy Be Exported? Lessons from Iraq Daniele Archibugi University of London, Birkbeck College Italian National Research Council, Rome

Porta Maggiore, Rome

4 June American Troops Entering in Rome from Porta Maggiore

The US considered Italy as an occupied country, the Italians considered the Americans liberators

Roman Holidays

“Roman Holiday” by Mitchell Siporin

The success story: Democracy exported Italy, Germany, Japan after World War II Lessons from WWII: no one single shot was fired against American Soldiers in Europe and in Japan In other cases, happy ending has not been reached. The story of WWII cannot be generalized

Pei and Kaspar, Carnegie Endowment for Peace Of US attempts to build democratic nations by military means only 2 were successful in the post-war period: Panama (1989) Grenada (1983) Major failures in South Vietnam,Cambodia, Haiti, Cuba (1898, 1906, 1917)

The state of the art Countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq are far from being democratic Bosnia and Kosovo are still in troubles Elections have become de facto ethnic census The “liberators” encounter much greater hostility than Rumsfeld expected Intervention for regime change is leading other countries to find security under nuclear deterrence (North Korea and Iran)

Why is it so difficult to implement the program? Lack of trust: rather than liberators, military troops are perceived as occupiers After WWII, the US has started all wars and has never been attacked by a state Those who declare to support democracy often supports despotic governments and unconstitutional coup d’etat In many countries there was not an explicit popular request for democracy

Can we make sense of successes and failures? Three simple tests: Who has started the war? How is perceived in the public the democratic “child-minder”? Is there an endogenous democratic fabric?

The problem legitimacy Internal democracy cannot be expanded at the expenses of international legitimacy If there is a demand of democracy, it is not the task of a state, but of the international community to satisfy it

All in all: What “If” if the war for democracy will be effective if an explicit request of democratic government has emerged in the population if International Organizations (UN Security Council) will provide authorization should military means to impose democracy be accepted?

Means should be consistent with ends Warfare is often using methods that are inconsistent with the basic principles of democracy There is no guarantee that the ends will be achieved by those who have broken the means And therefore, resistants are not entirely wrong when they doubt about the intentions of their would be “liberators”

What can be done to foster democracy? Something can be done because democracies are the most powerful nations of the world A shift towards solidarity among democratic regimes, and of democracy-building is today much needed

Traditional methods Incentives from democratic (and rich) countries to new democracies Participation to International Organizations The case of the European Union as a promoter and stabilizer of democracy in many countries

Two opposite perspectives on how to export democracy

The Bush Administration Use military means and threats Keep total control over national issues Hierarchical scale between the most to the least democratic The European Union Membership as an economic incentive Foreign policy coordination Equal dignity of all member states

Not Only Universal, but also Cosmopolitan Democracy Acceptance of the substantial variety of models of democracy Procedures about legitimate forms of democracy should also be considered Universal democracy impinges on unilateralism Cosmopolitan democracy on multilateralism

Not Only Universal, but also Cosmopolitan Democracy Universal democracy is concerned with internal democratization only, and it searches its legitimacy internally in each state Cosmopolitan democracy is also concerned with democratizing the global system and searches its legitimacy also in international organizations

What does it mean the concept of democracy beyond the State? Transparency: Bentham, Madison, Kant Govern in the interest of all and not of the majority (or the group appointing the government) Accountability to all stakeholders Minimisation of organised violence Development and respect of the rule of law

Cosmopolitan Democracy as an Anti-hegemonic Project The expansion of democracy beyond the state will limit the action of the new hegemonic powers It will increase the voice and legitimacy of an increasing number of players It challenges the legitimacy of unlawful power, within and beyond states