Are competition and democracy symbiotic?

 7 December 2017  Paris  

Français

2017 OECD GLOBAL FORUM ON COMPETITION DISCUSSES COMPETITION AND DEMOCRACY

Competition has traditionally been considered as supportive of democracy by dispersing economic power through efforts that guard against concentrations and cartelisation. Economic power is thus shared across a wide range of economic actors rather than in the hands of a select few who could potentially exert undue influence over government and political decision-making processes.

In December 2017, the Global Forum on Competition considered to what extent competition is a sufficient or a necessary condition for democracy to thrive, particularly when considering countries transitioning to democratic systems of government. As competition enforcement evolves, does this change the nature to which it can or does support democracy? Are there linkages between democracy, the degree to which a country is democratic, and the prevalence of competition across an economy?

This session, held on the first day, was led by a panel of experts from different policy areas who debated the topic and discussed with participants in an interactive Q&A format. All materials related to this discussion are available on this page.

CONFIRMED SPEAKERS

Hernando DE SOTO, President of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy (ILD) 

Lars Peter FELD, Director Walter Eucken Institute, Professor for Economic Policy University of Freiburg, Member German Council of Economic Experts

Ian S. FORRESTER, Judge, General Court of the European Union

Eleanor M. FOX, Walter J. Derenberg Professor of Trade Regulation at New York University School of Law. Presenting "The Symbiosis of Democracy and Markets"

David LEWIS, Executive Director Corruption Watch, Former Chairperson Competition Tribunal of South Africa

Spencer WEBER WALLER, Associate Dean and Professor, Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Presenting "Antitrust and Democracy: Democracy in Antitrust" (version française)

PAPER submitted by Delegations: BIAC and BEUC

RELATED LINKS

» Global Forum website

» Full list of Competition Policy Roundtables