KIRKPATRICK: MOVING TO DEMOCRACY

 

Discussing democracy: Winid, Kolodko, Stone, and Kirkpatrick

The former Soviet satellite countries of Eastern Europe are moving toward democratic government because it also offers economic prosperity, according to Jeane Kirkpatrick, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

"There have been more successful developments than anyone predicted, and the United States does not deserve the credit or the blame," Kirkpatrick said. "Virtually every country has made genuine strides toward a democratic government and capitalism."

Speaking at the panel on "Emerging Democracies" during Meliora Weekend, Kirkpatrick was joined by Grzegorz Kolodko, the John C. Evans Visiting Professor in Polish Studies and former finance minister and first deputy prime minister of Poland, Buguslaw Winid, Poland's deputy chief of mission, and moderator Randall Stone, assistant professor of political science.

The policy experts discussed the interplay between political democracy, economic well-being, and national prosperity.

"In the long run, democracies facilitate a free market," Kolodko said. "Democratization makes the management of a free market more difficult, but it's worth it for new countries to be patient."

While establishing a free and vibrant market is vital to ensuring a country's continued prosperity, some countries, such as China and some former Soviet states, are finding success without a democratic government, Kirkpatrick noted.

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