A recent open letter written by American and European experts and former officials concluded “the government of Azerbaijan cannot be both a respected member of the international community and a repressive, kleptocratic autocracy.” However, with the first-ever European Games that open today in Baku, Azerbaijan’s leadership is trying hard to prove them wrong. It seeks to demonstrate that rich petro-states can buy respectability through hosting major sporting events. It will not be the last state to try this strategy—the next two FIFA World Cups will be in Russia and Qatar (as of now). As such, it is …read more
Source: Brookings