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Democracy on the Precipice Council of Europe Democracy 2011-12 Council of Europe Publishing Debates Democracy on the Precipice Democracy Democracy is well-established and soundly practiced in most European countries. But despite unprecedented progress, there is growing dissatisfaction with the state of democracy and deepening mistrust of democratic institutions; a situation exacer- Democracy on the Precipice bated by the economic crisis. Are Europe’s democracies really under threat? Has the traditional model of European democracy exhausted its potential? A broad consensus is forming as to the urgent need to examine the origins of the crisis and to explore Council of Europe visions and strategies which could contribute to rebuilding confidence in democracy. Democracy Debates 2011-12 As Europe’s guardian of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, the Council of Europe is committed to exploring the state and practice of European democracy, as Debates of Europe Publishing 2011-12 Council Council of Europe Democracy well as identifying new challenges and anticipating future trends. In order to facilitate Preface by Thorbjørn Jagland this reflection, the Council of Europe held a series of Democracy Debates with the participation of renowned specialists working in a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. This publication presents the eight Democracy Debate lectures. Each presentation Zygmunt Bauman analyses a specific aspect of democracy today, placing the issues not only in their political context but also addressing the historical, technological and communication Ulrich Beck dimensions. The authors make proposals on ways to improve democratic governance Ayşe Kadıoğlu and offer their predictions on how democracy in Europe may evolve. Together, the presentations contribute to improving our understanding of democracy today and to John Keane recognising the ways it could be protected and strengthened. Ivan Krastev Nikolay Petrov Jacques Rupnik www.coe.int Žiga Turk The Council of Europe has 47 member states, covering virtually the entire continent of Europe. It seeks to develop common democratic and legal principles based on the European Convention on Human Rights and other reference texts on the protection of individuals. Ever since it was founded in 1949, in the aftermath of the Second World War, the Council of Europe has symbolised reconciliation. ISBN 978-92-871-7463-5 http://book.coe.int e17/US$34 Council of Europe Publishing Democracy on the Precipice Council of Europe Democracy Debates 2011-12 Zygmunt Bauman, Ulrich Beck, Ayşe Kadıoğlu, John Keane, Ivan Krastev, Nikolay Petrov, Jacques Rupnik and Žiga Turk Preface by Thorbjørn Jagland Council of Europe Directorate of Policy Planning Council of Europe Publishing The opinions expressed in this work are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the Council of Europe. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated, reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic (CD-Rom, Internet, etc.) or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the Directorate of Communication (F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex or [email protected]). Cover design and layout: Documents and Publications Production Department (SPDP), Council of Europe Council of Europe Publishing F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex http://book.coe.int ISBN 978-92-871-7463-5 © Council of Europe, September 2012 Printed at the Council of Europe Contents Preface ........................................................................................................................................ 5 Thorbjørn Jagland Secretary General of the Council of Europe Editor’s note ........................................................................................................................... 11 Piotr Świtalski Ambassador, Director of Policy Planning What is central in central Europe? .............................................................................. 17 Zygmunt Bauman Professor Emeritus at the University of Leeds Europe at risk: a cosmopolitan perspective ........................................................... 31 Ulrich Beck Professor of Sociology at the University of Munich and the London School of Economics The role of Islam in the democratic transformation of Arab countries: can Turkish laicism be a model? ................................................................................... 43 Ayşe Kadıoğlu Professor of Political Science at Sabancı University, Istanbul Democracy in the age of Google, Facebook and WikiLeaks ........................... 51 John Keane Professor of Politics at the University of Sydney and the Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin Europe in crisis: is liberal democracy at risk? ........................................................ 67 Ivan Krastev Chairman of the Centre for Liberal Studies in Bulgaria, and founding member of the European Council on Foreign Relations Over-managed democracy and its limitations ..................................................... 75 Nikolay Petrov Chairman of the Carnegie Moscow Center’s Society and Regions Programme 3 Europe and the democratisation of its neighbourhoods ................................ 85 Jacques Rupnik Research Director of the National Foundation of Political Studies/ Centre for International Studies and Research in Paris Europe in times of change: governance, democratic empowerment and the information age .................................................................................................. 97 Žiga Turk Secretary General of the Reflection Group on the Future of Europe About the authors ........................................................................................................... 105 4 Preface It is an important part of the Council of Europe’s mission to facilitate the exchange of good democratic practices and to foster innovative thinking with regard to democratic governance. It was with this in mind that I took the initiative to launch the Council of Europe’s Democracy Debates in April 2011. Their aim was to stimulate in-house reflection on the developments affecting European democracy today, and to forge the role of the Council of Europe as a laboratory on democratic concepts and practices. Each Democracy Debate welcomed a scholar from a different academic back- ground to present their views on current challenges to democracy in Europe. Ambassadors and members of the Council of Europe Secretariat, who approach these topics in a practical manner in their day-to-day work, were given the opportunity to discuss the ideas and share their experiences. And, indeed, all of the debates provided an intriguing fusion of theory and practice. In accordance with its mandate, this Organisation is called upon to diagnose the conditions of European democracy and to anticipate future trends. The Council of Europe is the only international body to gather all European democracies as member states. Consequently, it is especially important for the Council of Europe to closely follow the evolution of concepts and practices regarding democracy. More Europeans live in democracies than ever before. However, there is at present a widespread dissatisfaction with the practice of democracy, as well as increasing mistrust of democratic institutions and declining turnout at elections. This has led many to speak of a crisis of democracy. The economic crisis has further intensified the symptoms of the distress. It has shown the limits of states to counter, let alone prevent, the negative conse- quences of economic turmoil. It has furthermore exposed an apparent lack of necessary regulation and democratic control over financial markets. The crisis might thus entail a systemic threat to the sustainability of democracy. In the wake of the financial crisis, many European democracies have adopted austerity measures. In a number of European states, people have protested against government policies which they felt were tailored to the demands of markets, rather than to the needs of the general population. Thus, many citizens no longer feel accurately represented by their political institutions. Furthermore, general social discontent, underscored by rising unemployment and economic hardship, has contributed to a rise in xenophobia across Europe. To overcome the threats of a weakening democracy, existing democratic struc- tures must become more representative and allow for enhanced participation 5 of citizens. This would contribute to the pursuit of a common interest at all levels of power, rather than to the prevalence of particular interests. The Council of Europe has a mission to promote and consolidate democracy. In addition, it serves as a platform to reflect on democratic governance, its risks and threats, and to identify mechanisms and procedures to overcome these. Consequently, the Council of Europe has made it a priority to strengthen its activities in the field of democracy by addressing all issues which may affect the foundations and legitimacy of democratic institutions. To this end, it works closely with members of governments, parliaments, local authorities and civil society in its member states. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe gathers parliamentarians from all member states, representing a total of 800 million citizens. Four times a year, they meet to hold topical debates on current political questions. The present priorities of the Assembly include the promotion of democracy, intercultural dialogue and social cohesion. On a biennial basis, the Parliamentary
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