At a meeting at the European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE) in Brussels 23rd of May 2011, Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt made a statement that include among other important things the following:
Recently there have been calls for some type of new Marshall Plan to help the Arab economies to overcome the challenges they are facing. But money alone will not help. In some cases, the lack of money is hardly the issue.
It’s a question of liberalizing and opening up their economies. Of truly joining the world of communication and accelerating globalization. We must obviously give these countries and the wider region the assistance required to build the institutions of representative government, establish the rule of law, create political parties able to freely contest free elections - and in many other respects.
This is, I think, the first time I see a person on that level point out the importance of helping an emerging economy and democracy in multiple areas in a synchronized way. Without ability to start new access- or transit providers, launching new services domestically is not as effective as if competition is enabled. For example.