Politico has published the long-discussed Biden invitation list to the Summit for Democracy, December 9-10. On the whole it makes a lot of sense. It contains 107 countries, slightly more than half of the world, while Freedom House ranks 91 democracies.
politico.com/f/?id=0000017c…
politico.com/f/?id=0000017c…
2. Also some tiny democracies (Liechtenstein, St. Kitts etc.) included by Freedom House are ignored by the US. All sizable Freedom House democracies have been invited. The key question is: What unworthy countries have been included?
freedomhouse.org/countries/free…
freedomhouse.org/countries/free…
3. Three countries stand out as rightly ranked as "not free" by Freedom House, namely Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo & Iraq. These countries do not belong to a democracy summit.
4. The most controversial selection appears to be in Africa, where arguably assessments are particularly difficult. Why were not Sierra Leone, Benin, Lesotho, Madagascar & Burkina Faso invited that Freedom House ranks higher than about half the African invitees?
5. In the European region, almost all countries are invited. The most notable exception is Hungary (serves Orban right!), but also Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina & Kosovo. Here much tougher criteria have been applied than in Africa, but understandingly so.
6. In Eurasia, the US has been quite generous inviting Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia and Georgia, which Freedom House ranks as partly free, but this makes sense. These are the four formerly Soviet nations that fight for democracy. They are rightly given their due.
7. Naturally, China, Russia & 7 other former Soviet republics, Turkey & most of MENA has not been invited. They should be kept out of democratic company.
Correction: St. Kitts and Nevis was invited.
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