Charles Edel: The Summit for Democracy, between controversy and hope

In this week’s #Forum2000online Chat, Charles Edel, the Australia Chair and a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, joined Irena Kalhousová, the Head of the Herzl Center of Israel Studies at the Charles University and member of the Forum 2000 Program Council, to talk about the Summit for Democracy and other initiatives launched by Joe Biden’s administration, which show that Washington — after the experience of Trump’s presidency — is ready to take the leading role in promoting and defending democracy worldwide.

In this interview, you will learn that:
- The Trump presidency has sensitized the American elites to the dangers of democratic backsliding.
- Washington can lead in promoting and defending democracy worldwide as long as it is aware of its own internal problems.
- The Summit for Democracy succeeded in setting an agenda for further cooperation on discussing the state of democracy worldwide. 
- Joe Biden's administration plan was not to present America as a model example, and authoritarian leaders appeared on the invitation list for a reason.
- The Summit for Democracy is a part of a broader plan that aims to strengthen and protect democratic values on a global scale. 
- To counter the surge of authoritarianism, the democratic community must be able to cooperate and show practical results.

The interview was recorded on February 3, 2022, and moderated by Irena Kalhousová, the Head of the Herzl Center of Israel Studies at the Charles University in Prague and member of the Forum 2000 Program Council.

In cooperation with U.S. Embassy Prague

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