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Democracy promotion / Comment

Sarkozy's clean slate: a new French commitment to democracy and human rights?

06/02/2008 By Metsa Rahimi

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France’s heritage alone should stand it in good stead as a promoter of democracy: the republican values of liberty, equality and fraternity, Montesquieu’s writings on the separation of powers, the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.

Steadfast in their national pride, many French defend the Republic’s virtues in democracy as given. In 1990, President Mitterrand reputably placed France at the head of the democracy promotion commitment with his speech at Le Baule by stating that "French aid will be ungenerous towards authoritarian regimes and more enthusiastic towards those who choose the path towards democracy [...] there is no development without democracy and there is no democracy without development".

Yet the post-Cold War era did not bring any significant French achievements in this field, and was in fact characterised by support for dictatorial regimes in Africa and the Middle East through historical linkages. According to one diplomat, the French attitude to democracy has always seemed either reactive, or even defensive through its protection of “friends” and national interests.

Consequently, experts in development have for years criticised France’s contribution to democratisation as at best empty or limited, and at worst, detrimental. The presidential elections of 2007 thus generated hopes of a shift in foreign policy, away from traditional bonds and towards a greater commitment to democratisation.

Nicolas Sarkozy has certainly made bold and well-publicised strides in defining a new foreign policy for France. But has his pragmatic realism brought any evidence to suggest a new vision for promoting democracy?

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Keywords

Democracy aid Democracy promotion Europe France Governance

Bio author: Metsa Rahimi

Metsa holds a BA Honours in French and International Studies from the University of Warwick and a Masters in International Affaires with a specialisation in International Security from Sciences Po in Paris. Prior to joining FRIDE, she worked at the UNHCR, The Foreign Policy Centre in London, and Casa Asia in Barcelona.