Table of Contents
- A Continent Under Threat
- The Rise of Populism and Voter Disillusionment
- Why Young People Are Turning Away From Democracy
- Dialogue as the Antidote: Citizens’ Assemblies and Deliberative Polling
- Lessons from Ukraine, South Korea, and Beyond
- Sources
A Continent Under Threat
Democracy in Europe is facing its most severe security challenges since World War II. At the Athens Democracy Forum—held in partnership with The New York Times—European leaders painted a stark picture: from drone incursions over German and Danish airports to GPS jamming, cyberattacks, and disinformation campaigns, the threats are relentless and multifaceted.
Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission’s executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security, and democracy, rated the current threat level at a sobering 7 out of 10. “Europe’s democracies are very much under pressure and under attack every day,” she warned.
The Rise of Populism and Voter Disillusionment
But the danger isn’t just external. Internally, democracies are fraying under the weight of voter disillusionment. According to Neha Sahgal of the Pew Research Center, a recent survey across 24 countries found that only 16 out of 101 political parties received majority favorable ratings. In half the countries, no party earned public trust.
“This is people saying: I do not feel represented,” Sahgal explained. “They believe the system needs major change—and worse, they don’t think it can change.”
Why Young People Are Turning Away From Democracy
Contrary to popular belief, young people aren’t natural democracy defenders. Abigail Branford, a research fellow at Oxford, pointed to a “big spike in openness to authoritarianism” following the 2008 financial crisis. Millennials, struggling with unemployment and unaffordable housing, began questioning democratic institutions.
“We cannot assume that young people are going to save democracy,” Branford cautioned. “Sometimes, they’re the most open to authoritarian alternatives.”
Dialogue as the Antidote: Citizens’ Assemblies and Deliberative Polling
So what’s the solution? Forum participants overwhelmingly pointed to one answer: dialogue.
Marjan H. Ehsassi of the Federation for Innovation in Democracy North America warned of “voice insecurity”—the feeling that your opinion doesn’t matter. “When you feel disempowered, you feel vulnerable. And when you’re vulnerable, you want change—even if it’s authoritarian,” she said.
Stanford professor James Fishkin offered a practical remedy: deliberative polling. This method gathers representative samples of citizens to discuss policy issues in moderated, civil settings. Used over 150 times globally—including in Mongolia, where it spurred national electoral reform—it consistently leads participants to moderate extreme views and regain faith in democratic processes.
“Discussion is the soul of democracy,” Fishkin declared.
Lessons from Ukraine, South Korea, and Beyond
The forum also spotlighted global flashpoints. Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s special representative for Ukraine’s reconstruction, called Russia’s 2022 invasion “the gravest breach” of the post-WWII peace order. Yet she expressed optimism: “Europeans now see Ukraine not as a charity case, but as Europe’s shield.”
In South Korea, democracy’s fragility—and resilience—was on full display when President Yoon Suk Yeol’s brief declaration of martial law in December 2024 was overturned within hours by a unanimous parliamentary vote. “It was amazing to witness,” said former lawmaker Jaeyoung Lee. “The constitution worked.”
Even in the Middle East, voices for truth persisted. Israeli journalist Gideon Levy, honored with the Athens Democracy Award, dedicated it to over 200 journalists killed in Gaza since October 2023. “We can’t wait for courts to call it what it is,” he said, referring to Israel’s actions as genocide.
