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Joe Biden opens his “world summit for democracy” this Thursday. This virtual event, which brings together a hundred countries, is at the heart of the American president’s foreign policy. But the guest list raises the question of Washington’s real intentions.
After four years of Trump presidency, Joe Biden chanted ” America is back »And had promised to return to a leadership more traditional of the United States. This summit, which brings together 111 countries on Thursday 9 and Friday 10 December, is at the heart of its foreign policy, at a time when democracy is receding across the world. ” This summit was a centerpiece of Joe Biden’s rhetoric during the presidential campaign », Confirms Jonathan Paquin, full professor in the political science department at Laval University in Quebec City (Canada). ” Once he took power, several observers advised him to give up ”. But Joe Biden stood up.
First difficulty: constitute a guest list. Washington sorted it out, but did not detail the selection process in detail. Brazil, Poland or the Philippines are invited, but not Hungary or Turkey. “It was an impossible mission”, believes Martin Quencez, deputy director of think tank German Marshall Fund, in Paris. “It was necessary to integrate a certain number of countries which do not represent democratic values, either because they are important allies within the framework of NATO or other American partnerships in the world, or because it was not there is no question of isolating potentially important countries in the competition with China ”.
A geopolitical instrument?
China is not invited to this summit either, unlike Taiwan. Also in the list of “failures”, Russia describes the event as ” an instrument to achieve geopolitical objectives ». « Beyond democratic criteria, we must see that strategic interests have prevailed “, comments Jonathan Paquin. “With regard to Turkey and Hungary, these are two countries which are very critical of Washington and which have very good relations with Beijing and Moscow.. On the other hand in the guest list, we note the presence of Brazil, India, the Philippines or Poland, whose regimes are much more authoritarian than 10 or 15 years ago, but which are resolutely in the American camp. They are not exemplary democracies, but they are good allies of Washington ».
The Europeans themselves have expressed some reservations in recent weeks. Diplomatic sources in France raise concerns about the finality of the summit: is the Biden administration trying to form a common front against Beijing under the guise of promoting democracy? For Martin Quencez, these remarks were taken very seriously by the Biden administration: “ For several weeks, Washington’s communication has been to say that it is not a bloc within the framework of a new cold war. It is about bringing together countries against democratic decline, around issues of the fight against corruption, human rights or freedom of expression on the internet. ».
A weakened American democracy
The “ day zero “Wednesday saw a succession of speakers from civil society. The first morning of Thursday is dedicated to plenary sessions, behind closed doors, of heads of state, after an opening speech by Joe Biden. The United States is hosting the summit at a time when American democracy itself is weakened. The country has plummeted eleven points in ten years in the democratic health chart in the world of the organization Freedom House, although partly funded by the US State Department. ” A majority of states in the United States have passed laws that make it more difficult for minorities to exercise the right to vote. This is in addition to the work of Donald Trump and the attack on the Capitol on January 6. It is a democracy that is doing very badly ”, explains Professor Jonathan Paquin. ” But if it wasn’t the United States, who else would be able to take over this leadership ? The United States remains the first world power, it is still today a democracy, and the country played an important role in the democratization of the countries of Eastern Europe at the beginning of the 90s. So there is all the same a democratic heritage ».
For Martin Quincez, Joe Biden sought a point of balance between this leadership which he wishes to assume, and a certain humility in the face of the state of democracy in his country. ” We expect from the United States not the announcement of support for pro-democracy activists in authoritarian countries, but changes concerning democracy in the United States, an introspection on the democratic decline in our societies and in particular in North America. This is where we will judge the credibility of the Biden administration ”, adds the deputy director of the German Marshall Fund. Several analysts expect each country to formulate national commitments, rather than large common resolutions. The United States could, for example, announce a series of commitments in the fight against corruption and for a better framework for the financing of electoral campaigns. This week’s summit is being announced by the US State Department as the first step in a year of action. Working groups are due to meet throughout the year before a second summit scheduled for a year from now.
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