World Review Democracy 2019: an Opinion Section

.. THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL EDITION FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2019 | S1 World Review Democracy 2019: An Opinion Section

MATT ROTA

Burgeoning democratic movements around the world have embraced new technology in recent years, but innovations have also made elections more vulnerable to attacks.

Division is at center of debate At the Athens Democracy Forum, globalism comes under fire amid warnings of more interference in United States elections.

ATHENS list nationalism that’s going to see us forward.” Mr. Lévy responded, saying, “If the will of BY FARAH NAYERI the people consists of voting for Hitler or supporting Mussolini, it is not democracy.” Steve Bannon, the former chief strategist to Democracy requires “a lot of other princi- President Donald Trump, delivered a sting- ples,” such as the rule of law and the protec- ing indictment of global elites at a democra- tion of minorities, he added, and the populist cy conference in Athens, blaming them for parties backed by the United States were Farah Nayeri is a — among other things — bailing out the “spitting at the face of this great idea.” regular contributor world financial system at the expense of the Representatives of the global political to The New York working classes. In a debate, he hailed the elite were not in short supply at the forum. Times. resulting wave of populist nationalism that They included the presidents of Greece and put Mr. Trump in the White House. Ireland; European Union Council President His sparring partner, the French philoso- Donald Tusk; European Commissioner for pher Bernard-Henri Lévy, a fierce Trump Competition Margrethe Vestager; and critic, hit back, accusing the Trump adminis- Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of tration of abandoning America’s global re- Greece, son of a previous Greek premier and sponsibilities, and backing Russia and far- uncle of the current mayor of Athens. right European political parties. “I hear this debate about elites quite fre- The dramatic debate — held inside quently, and I would argue provocatively Athens’s old parliament building last week that I’m a poster boy for an elite, coming — was part of the Athens Democracy For- from a political family,” Mr. Mitsotakis said a um, an annual summit of world leaders, aca- day before Mr. Bannon’s remarks. The an- demics and activists convened in associa- swer was not to resort to populism, he said, tion with The New York Times. Illustrating but for mainstream parties to “bring in new the intensity of the battle for political minds blood” and be “much more democratic” in and souls going on around the world, the their decision making. As his landslide de- pair traded taunts and accusations, and hop- feat in July of the left-wing Syriza party had ped off their stools to face each other like proved, he added, “populists, when they Let’s make prize fighters. come to power, don’t offer any real solutions “Globalism is the last of the great failed to real problems.” ideologies of the 20th century,” Mr. Bannon Democracy as a system of government is began. He recalled the collapse of Lehman a given in the West, and has been for a long Brothers in September 2008, and the subse- time. Yet in large parts of the world, it is a quent rescue of the financial system distant dream, said Annika Savill, the execu- climate action through “negative interest rates” and other tive head of the United Nations Democracy policies. “On whose shoulders was that put Fund, a U.N. body that works directly with upon, because that has to be paid by some- civil society to support democracy. In an body? It was paid by working-class and mid- opening-night address, Ms. Savill said the dle-class people in the United States, Eu- word “democracy” appeared nowhere in the everyone’s rope and Asia.” United Nations Charter, and about half of “It was that effort that bailed out the the world’s countries “do not embrace it as a elites,” he said, referring to attendants of the form of governance, or merely pay lip serv- annual World Economic Forum in Davos, ice to it.” Switzerland. “The party of Davos brought That stark statistic was epitomized by the business that upon us, and it’s Donald Trump’s popu- DIVISION, PAGE S2 chambers4climate.iccwbo.org

THE CHAMBERS CLIMATE COALITION

STUDIO PANOULIS/ATHENS DEMOCRACY FORUM From left, Bernard-Henri Lévy, the moderator Roger Cohen and Steve Bannon at the forum. .. S2 | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2019 THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL EDITION World Review

EXCERPTS FROM THE FORUM New models of democracy

At the Athens Democracy Forum last week, for democracy in your own country, in Syria. a conference organized by the Democracy & And you got beaten down. You made the Culture Foundation in association with The same appeals to the West to help that Na- New York Times, international leaders and than is just making here now, and nobody policymakers debated the evolving state of helped. Maybe just give us a quick overview democracy around the globe. Here are ex- of your story. cerpts from the discussions. They have been MR. EID I grew up with poverty, in a very dark edited and condensed. place where dreams are crushed and we have no opinion. Everyone was telling us since we were born that the walls have ears, that we cannot talk, we cannot think, we can- We and them: The tectonic not love, we cannot have any kinds of plates of nationalism and dreams. My only dream, and everyone’s dream, was actually to leave Syria, to get multiculturalism away from this big prison without walls. But in 2011 our dreams changed. During the Arab Spring, instead of all thinking Far from diminishing, ethnic, national and about how we should leave the Middle East, religious tribalism are on the rise and feeding how we should leave the Arab world and run intolerance, exclusion, populism and conflict. to Europe or run to America, we actually Why are the ideals of multiculturalism and just wanted to stay home and make our inclusion so elusive, and so often held in dis- countries a better place for everyone. We dain? stood up in the streets and we started chant- NATHAN LAW, Hong Kong politician and activ- ing for freedom, for democracy. But we dis- ist covered that was all bullshit. Democracy is KASSEM EID, human rights activist and author — I think it’s not for everyone. SERGEY A. KARAGANOV, dean of the School of In- MS. BENNHOLD Sergey, I want to come to you. ternational Economics and Foreign Affairs The West seems to be unable to deliver on its of the National Research University Higher promise of a multiethnic democracy, where School of Economics and honorary chairman there is no “us versus them,” there is just an of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign us. Viewed from Russia and from Moscow in and Defense Policy in Moscow 2019, is liberalism failing? Is Western democracy on its way out? MODERATOR: KATRIN BENNHOLD, Berlin bureau chief, The New York Times MR. KARAGANOV I must say that I do not agree that democracy is dying in the world. It is MS. BENNHOLD Our topic this morning is as more democratic than ever for two reasons. old as humanity itself: us versus them. One is that now countries have more free- Nathan, you and your fellow protesters in dom ... than ever in history to choose their PHOTOGRAPHS BY STUDIO PANOULIS/ATHENS DEMOCRACY FORUM Hong Kong are fighting for the rights of ways, the cultural parts, their economic democratic freedoms, while in the West models. The second is, of course, that even we’re struggling with our own democracies. in more authoritarian countries, because of we can’t have both,” said Louis Brandeis, a MS. ALDERMAN Why are the rich continuing to growing divisions between rural and urban What is the “us” and the “them” for you? the information, people have more possibili- member of the U.S. Supreme Court. Was he get even richer, the middle class continuing populations. If democracy does not deliver MR. LAW The story of Hong Kong is really im- ties to influence their governments, even in right? Can economic inequality be tempered to hollow out, and the poor not being able to economic growth, and prosperity and the portant in this time, especially that we are formerly democratic countries. without discouraging innovation and en- make advances? Let me start with Margot hope for a better future, then people will lose fighting for democracy and autonomy of our trepreneurship? Wallstrom. faith in democracy and in democratic insti- hometown. I can tell, from a personal story, MS. WALLSTROM I really think that we are in a tutions as well. the worst form of this kind of “we” and PAUL POLMAN, former chief executive, Unilever, situation in the world today where it has be- MS. ALDERMAN Anna, one of the issues is the “them” is to stir hatred among people, is to and co-founder and chair, Imagine The cost of inequality: come a kind of fight between good and evil in continued development, the continued en- use misinformation campaigns to create MARGOT WALLSTROM, former minister for for- a way. And I think that rising inequality un- try, for example, of artificial intelligence conflict among people, and that’s what Progressive capitalism is not an eign affairs, Sweden dermines democracy. It does so because I technology in the workplace, also the contin- China has been doing. oxymoron ANNA DIAMANTOPOULOU, president, DIKTIO think that what we see now is a lost confi- ued spread of the so-called gig economy, MS. BENNHOLD Kassem, in 2011 you were kind Network for Reform in Greece and Europe dence in governments. It means also that we which as we are discovering is not all it’s of doing what Nathan is doing now — you “We may have democracy, or we may have MODERATOR: LIZ ALDERMAN, chief European have fraying social fabrics as well. And we cracked up to be. These are economic devel- were fighting for democracy — standing up wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but business correspondent, The New York Times see increasing political divides and also opments that have contributed to the cre-

Division marks debate

WE’RE FLYING HIGHER THAN EVER YOU VOTED US BEST REGIONAL AIRLINE IN EUROPE JOHN RUDOFF/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE — GETTY IMAGES FOR THE 10TH TIME DIVISION, FROM PAGE S1 vote tallies or voter rolls were to be disputed Hundreds of members Syrian human rights activist and author after the election. of far-right groups Kassem Eid, who is an adversary of the Syr- Mr. Stedman also urged Facebook to “get faced off against other ian president, Bashar al-Assad, and a sur- out of political advertising,” as ads some- protesters during a vivor of a Sarin gas attack in August 2013. times contained “lies” put out by candidates. rally in Portland, Ore., Mr. Eid appeared onstage in Athens sport- “You just can’t hide behind a rule that says in August. It is just a ing a Batman mask — a reminder, he said, ‘It’s political advertising, therefore anything small piece of the that while politicians (such as the Chinese goes,’” he explained. tensions that are leadership in Hong Kong) ban face masks, Crystal Patterson, global civic partner- currently erupting “they get to wear them every day, and just ships manager of Facebook (a conference around the world. wear a poker face, and go out on TV and lie sponsor), replied that the platform was tak- to people.” ing down fake accounts — 3.4 billion of them Mr. Eid — now a refugee in Germany — were removed between October and March, said the West, having defeated Nazism and twice as many as in the previous six-month witnessed the collapse of communism, had period — and marking news items that had let its guard down “while Nazis and commu- been disputed by third-party fact checkers. nists were working on their comeback — But the company had no plans to stop po- and they have succeeded.” litical ads, because they allowed “an upstart “I hate to bring the bad news, but the candidate” to “get in the mix without having party is over,” he declared to thunderous ap- a ton of financial buy-in.” plause. “Democracies are under attack, and “As soon as we start policing in that way, if you don’t fight for democracy, you don’t ac- and people don’t know what we’re taking tually deserve it.” down and what’s left, that also creates a One key weapon against democracies is whole new set of problems,” Ms. Patterson technology, and it could potentially be used said, adding that the public “would rather us to toxic effect in next year’s presidential butt out more” than “cherry pick.” election in the United States, said academics Considering the multipronged assaults on and social media executives at the forum. democracy around the world, the Nobel The United States is “extremely vulnera- Prize-winning author Wole Soyinka had an ble” to “hacking from external actors or idea. from mischievous domestic actors” when it “Maybe it’s just about time that we comes to election hardware — actual voting started a kind of counter-Olympics: a com- machines — and back-end electoral soft- petition among the least democratic nations ware, such as voter registration rolls, said in the world every year,” he proposed. Each Stephen Stedman, a Stanford University ac- continent would vote on its component na- ademic who is secretary general of the Kofi tions. “The conduct of that nation both Annan Commission on Elections and De- within and outside would be totaled up, and mocracy in the Digital Age. then we’ll have the champion anti-demo- There are 50 different balloting systems, cratic nation of the year. aegeanair.com one for each state in the United States, and “Certainly, right now,” the Nobel laureate only 20 work well, he said, warning that concluded, “the United States would qualify there could be a “constitutional crisis” if to be the representative of the Americas.” .. THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL EDITION FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2019 | S3 World Review

they’re corrupt or they’re incompetent. We So those are the kind of vulnerabilities that need to deconstruct the way in which gov- we have to be aware of when we analyze the ernments make decisions. We’ve got to raise negative effects of social media on public de- awareness about the very problem so that bate, deliberation and on democracy. you can actually get permission to address MS. WITTMEYER Crystal, what is Facebook do- it. Then you need to tap into the greatest re- ing about the issue of cultural competency in source we’ve got, which is the common- a way that addresses the issue of under- sense judgment of everyday citizens. standing the context of the places that it’s in before something happens, instead of cor- recting itself after the fact? MS. PATTERSON Well, we do spend a lot of time The echo chamber and the trying. We do try to work with governments, agora: The use and misuse of we try to work with civil society. We work new and social media with a number of international organizations that just have a really strong sense of kind of cultural standards, the geopolitical Social media is integral to connecting with dynamics in specific countries and regions, one another these days. But it has also be- to kind of help inform how we’re thinking come a platform to spread lies and hate. How about our tools and how they’re used. And do we deal with this dilemma? we’ve gotten better with this over time. To LAURA CHINCHILLA, former president of Costa your point, there are a number of places Rica and chairwoman of the Kofi Annan where we’ve sort of been way too late about Commission on Elections and Democracy in understanding the impact our tools were the Digital Age having on existing difficulties. And it is a challenge. CRYSTAL PATTERSON, global civic partnerships manager at Facebook MS. WITTMEYER I wanted to turn to the question of echo chamber versus agora. Because, ALVIN CARPIO, chief executive of the Fourth Alvin, when you were thinking about this Group, an advocacy organization focused on panel and the question of whether social me- tech issues dia created an echo chamber, you said that MODERATOR: ALICIA WITTMEYER, an Opinion ed- to some extent you thought it was just mak- itor at The New York Times ing echo chambers that already existed MS. WITTMEYER Laura, you said earlier that more evident and easier for the rest of us to “we talk a lot about the ways in which social see. Can you talk a little bit about that? media shapes democratic processes in the MR. CARPIO When you think about it, democ- developed world,” but “we talk less about racy itself for millennia has been an echo how it operates in the global south.” What chamber. Political institutions have been so are we missing, and what are we misunder- exclusive that they’ve been an echo cham- standing? ber for the elite. People like me — born and Opposite page, the ation of jobs, but to arguably much poorer- global governance system — which has MR. SCHMEMANN Jay, polls I’ve seen from MS. CHINCHILLA Social media didn’t create raised in places like East London, one of the opening session of quality jobs. How do you address that, the been led by the U.S., European and other Australia show that less than half of Austral- most of the problems that we have been dis- poorest boroughs in the United Kingdom — the Athens Democ- continued hollowing-out of support for countries — has actually paved the way for a ians under the age of 44 preferred democra- cussing here, but in certain ways it is ampli- people of color and women fought for the racy Forum at the working people? lot of good things to happen. But as time cy over other forms of governments. I’d like fying some of those problems. Part of the ability to be able to even vote. And we need Zappeion Megaron. goes on I think that now, with all the techno- to get your sense whether this is a crisis or MS. DIAMANTOPOULOU Inequality is a keyword complexity we have to consider is that social to really think about that historically. That’s This page, clock- logical development, with all the world ex- whether this is a process of renewal among through human history. But it has different media doesn’t behave the same way in all re- very recent. And when I think about the wise from upper periencing explosive growth, it’s time to reforms from century to century, from era to the young. gions, in all societies, in all contexts. So it is fourth Industrial Revolution, and technol- left, waiting to pose think the models that we are in now. We have era. And for me it is very difficult to speak MR. WEATHERILL I don’t think the way the very important to understand that some ogy, and the ability to actually see what peo- a question during to upgrade, we have to reinvent. generally about inequality. So I would like to youth are responding to the political process countries are more vulnerable than others. “The Echo Chamber ple truly think, I think that’s actually a beau- concentrate on the Western world, the West- MR. ERLANGER Jayathma, social media — is wildly different from the way everybody In the global south it is more common to find and the Agora” tiful thing. We’re hearing voices that we ern democracies, and on a particular issue, which is a big deal for all of us, but certainly else is seeing it. There is a widespread disil- high polarization levels, weaker institutions panel; a participant never heard before, where the means which is our new big fourth Industrial Revo- for young people — is this helping democra- lusionment with politics and politicians. If and public distrust with regard to those in- in a photo with Wole through which you can express your views lution. The recent decades in Western de- cy? Or is it hurting it? faced with a politician that doesn’t seem to stitutions. And there are low levels not only Soyinka, the Ni- and your ideas are no longer beholden to a mocracies, in modern democracies, we had MS. WICKRAMANAYAKE I think social media be able to represent your interests, either of digital literacy, but of literacy in general. gatekeeper. gerian writer and combined democracy and relative justice professor; Proko- definitely is a double-edged sword. I strug- prosperity. So there was a strong middle gle a lot to make the work of the U.N. com- pios Pavlopoulos, class; there was social mobility. This is not president of municated in a way that is relevant to the the case today, and this is why we have this young people of today, which is of course Greece; Jayathma increase of inequalities. Wickramanayake, crucial and important given the fact that half seated right, the MS. ALDERMAN Paul, we hear people like your- of the world’s population today is under the United Nations self talk about the fact that business needs to age of 30. secretary general’s be more responsible. But how can you show I think there are a couple of reasons liber- envoy on youth. us that those aren’t hollow words in terms of al democracy and democratic institutions the ways that your company and other com- have pushed and continue to push young panies actually operate? people away from being engaged. I think the MR. POLMAN Let me start on a positive note, if lack of trust in political institutions is one of I may. It’s without any doubt in the last five, the biggest causes for that. six decades we have lifted more people out of poverty than in any time in human history, and we should feel good about that. The population has grown threefold, but the in- The collapse of come or G.D.P. has grown nine times over the traditional party that period. The unfortunate thing is that ob- viously with population growth that we’re seeing, the trend is not our friend. So while Today traditional parties in many mature many people would claim that we’re moving democracies have become polarized, weak- in the right direction on many of these indi- ened and alienated from the public, giving way cators, we’re just not moving fast enough. to populist parties and leaders who put their personal interests above the values of democracy. Why has this happened, and what is the remedy? Back to basics: Restoring faith GEORGE A. PAPANDREOU, former prime min- in core values ister, Greece ANGIE HOBBS, professor of the public under- Disenchantment with liberal democracy has standing of philosophy, University of confronted it with an existential danger. But Sheffield while the problem has been richly described, JAY WEATHERILL, former premier, South Aus- few tangible solutions have emerged to re- tralia, and industry professor, University of verse the alienation voters feel from their South Australia elected leaders and institutions. What is the MODERATED BY SERGE SCHMEMANN, program answer, or answers? director, Athens Democracy Forum and HUIYAO (HENRY) WANG, founder and president, member of the Editorial Board, The New Center for China and Globalization York Times JAYATHMA WICKRAMANAYAKE, United Nations MR. SCHMEMANN Political parties are a main- Secretary General’s envoy on youth stay of a functioning democracy. They are supposed to play a moderating role in the KAROLINA WIGURA, sociologist, Kultura Liber- emotions of the electorate. So let me put the alna Foundation, Poland first question to you, George. Your father MODERATED BY STEVEN ERLANGER, chief diplo- founded PASOK, which was long one of two matic correspondent, Europe, The New York major parties in Greece. But then in 2012 Times you resigned from the party, and you sit now MR. ERLANGER So we have a kind of disen- in parliament as a member of something chantment with liberal democracy. We’ve all called the “Movement for Change.” Why did been hearing about that. But I think what we you shift from this established party? need to think about are its roots and its MR. PAPANDREOU We have such a concentra- sources, partly in human nature, and partly tion of wealth and power that it has under- in the way we organize our societies. mined democracy. You do not need a party Karolina, please, you’re first. anymore; you need good finance and good MS. WIGURA I think that if the citizens are media to be elected. Many parties were a filled with anger, with rage, then the rule of way for expression. Today people express law will not last. themselves as individuals, through Face- What is the emotion, what is the feeling book and social media. What is needed is to that made populists’ victory possible, and create parties which are much more open, makes them still be popular, like in my coun- much more participatory. More and more try, for example? What is the particular people feel they do not have a say, so I think emotion? I would say that the emotion is the this is where parties have to go. feeling of loss. We certainly think that devel- MR. SCHMEMANN Angie, you spend a lot of opment is something good. But develop- your time in Ancient Greece, where rheto- ment and change means loss. It’s a loss of ric, logic, were highly prized in the delibera- families; it’s a loss of connections between tions of the elites. Now that this has been re- people. Populists channel the feeling of loss placed by the babble of social media, how do into civil war, hatred and disgust. you go about shaping the debate that de- MR. ERLANGER Henry, you come from a coun- mocracy needs? try that has been struggling with how to rep- MS. HOBBS When party politics doesn’t work resent its citizenry. What is your sense of so well, it’s when elected representatives what representative governments, demo- put their own personal ambitions ahead of cratic governments, ought to be providing to their party, or when parties put their own their citizens? livelihoods against the national interest. MR. WANG We are coming into an age of glob- Also, if the parties fail to grasp and react alization and also at a crossroads. Seven and quickly to huge changes, you tend to get a half decades after a major world war, de- people switching off, not turning out to vote, mocracy has flourished in so many coun- not getting involved in the conversation and tries, and [it led to] prosperity. So I think the turning to single issues. .. S4 | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2019 THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL EDITION World Review

The case for populism Hungary’s history under Communism illustrates why it has chosen a nonliberal path

BY MARIA SCHMIDT We Hungarians have rarely had easy lives. As was the case with other nations that came under the direct domination of the So- viet Union in the 20th century, we had to struggle to retain our national culture and way of life. Yet our trials have prepared us well for the challenges of the 21st century. Maria Schmidt is an After World War II, the Soviet Union ISTVAN CSABA TOTH/MTI, VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS author and historian foisted a social experiment on Hungary, Viktor Orban at Imre Nagy’s reburial in 1989. whose research forcing us to live in a Communist society for focuses on 20th- almost half a century. In 1956 we rebelled century dictatorships against the Soviet-backed regime in an ef- in Europe. A former fort to regain our national independence. nation’s economic and cultural institutions. adviser to the Hun- Our revolution failed, however, and we paid Fortunately, their power was dealt a sig- garian prime min- a heavy price. Liberation would come dec- nificant blow in 2010, when Mr. Orban was ister, Viktor Orban, ades later, after the collapse of the Soviet elected prime minister in a sweeping vic- she is the director empire. tory. The political elites who preferred to general of the House In the totalitarian regime imposed on maintain the status quo during the 2008 fi- of Terror museum in Hungary by Communist Moscow, politics nancial crisis left Hungary’s middle class, as Budapest. was practiced in impenetrable, smoke-filled well as its most needy citizens, high and dry. back rooms. There was a total absence of in- This impaired the democratic legitimacy of formation on the streets, so the public relied Hungary’s governing parties, which is why on gossip to find out what was happening. voters looked in a new political direction. At the same time, people couldn’t care less Since then Mr. Orban has put Hungary’s about who had and who hadn’t fallen out of interests first when crafting his economic grace with the Communist leadership. Soci- policies, and he has refused to follow the pol- ety was split between Them (party mem- icy directives laid down by European Union bers and careerists within the ramparts of bureaucrats in Brussels. He has also worked power) and Us (those whose principal aim to replace the neoliberal vanguard that led was to lead independent lives on the periph- the country toward bankruptcy during the ery). financial crisis. To bolster the economy, he Under Communism, it would have been ASSOCIATED PRESS imposed special levies on multinational unimaginable for me to go out with a party Hungarian rebels on a Soviet tank captured in the square in front of Parliament in Budapest during the 1956 revolution. companies and banks to distribute the bur- official or share a friendly word with an den of the crisis as proportionately as possi- army or police officer. Such people existed in ble between the market players who caused a different world than the rest of us. Anyone it (and profited from it) and Hungary’s citi- valued or decorated by officialdom was a old guard of Communist officials retired, party leader Janos Kadar knew that Mr. Soviet troops from Hungary. zenry. nonperson in our eyes. We had our own he- and their successors didn’t care much for Gorbachev’s reforms would be lethal, and he In September 1989, the regime opened the In 2014, Mr. Orban proclaimed that Hun- roes to look up to. We had the freedom fight- the regime’s official ideology; they were told the Soviet leader so. Hungary-Austria border, allowing tens of gary was breaking with the kind of early ers from ’56. We had our poets, like Gyorgy asobsessed as the old guard had become He was right. The young officials who thousands of East German refugees who 21st-century liberalism that had been Petri; our writers, like Imre Kertesz; our with accumulating money and influence. As took power in the late ’80s soon accepted the had flooded into Hungary passage to West bankrupted so spectacularly in 2008. In- painters, like Gabor Karatson (one of the a result, the regime became increasingly in- inevitable and gave in to change. In June Germany. This destabilized the East Ger- stead, he declared a desire for a nonliberal most important forerunners of the Hungar- secure, while we became more liberated and 1989, they permitted the reburial of Imre man regime and unleashed a chain of events society — he called it “illiberal” — based on ian Green movement); we had our singers self-assured. Nagy, the reform-minded former prime min- that would ultimately lead to the fall of the community, Christianity and solidarity. He and historians. When Mikhail Gorbachev became the ister who was executed after the 1956 revo- Berlin Wall and the reunification of Ger- understood that the West was suffering The stifling atmosphere under Commu- leader of the Soviet Union in 1985, we sensed lution. At this momentous occasion, the many, and of Europe. “It was in Hungary from a systemic crisis, in economic terms nism prevailed through the 1970s. But then, that it was only a matter of time before the young Viktor Orban publicly called for free that the first stone was removed from the and within the liberal order itself. in the 1980s, things started to change. The Hungarian regime unraveled. The veteran elections and demanded the withdrawal of Berlin Wall,” Helmut Kohl, the former Ger- Nine years have passed since Mr. Orban’s man chancellor, later recalled. landslide victory in 2010, in which he won These were unforgettable days for us. In over two-thirds of parliamentary seats — a the summer of 1989, President George H.W. feat he has since repeated twice. This is a Bush visited Budapest and assured the lead- clear demonstration of the popularity and ers of the new opposition that the United success of his policies. Hungary’s economy States would not let Hungary down like it is in good shape: Inflation and unemploy- did in 1956. Free elections were finally held ment are at low levels; gross domestic prod- in 1990, and the representatives of the old re- uct growth stands at about 5 percent; and gime were voted out of office. The Soviet Un- real wages have increased by 40 percent in ion withdrew its last troops from Hungary, the past few years. and we left the Warsaw Pact. The nonliberal shift promoted by Mr. Or- Excited to regain control of our destiny ban and the spread of populism that it her- and emerge from the Iron Curtain, we Hun- alded were consequences of an imbalance garians naïvely believed that Western Eu- within the liberal order, one that favored rope would share in our elation. We thought elites over the needs of everyday citizens. that other nations would empathize with the As liberalism runs out of steam, true majori- suffering we had experienced under Com- tarian democracy and popular representa- munism and offer us a helping hand in over- tion is returning to Hungary. And the same is happening across Eu- rope. In the European Parliamentary elec- Under Communism, it would have been tions earlier this year, the “populists” (dem- ocrats, in other words) significantly unimaginable for me to share a friendly strengthened their position. The European word with an army or police officer. electorate voted for a balance of stability and change — for preserving the European Union without losing more member states, coming the challenges we faced. and for keeping alive all of the European Un- Sadly, instead of treating us as potential ion’s worthwhile achievements while dis- allies who were finally joining the free carding anything that has proved unsustain- world, the nations of Western Europe able. Voters sent a clear message: They treated us as vanquished losers of the Cold want more flexibility in politics, less ideolog- War who had to defer to their wisdom. They ical dogmatism and more readiness for com- used economic power to gain control of our promise. markets, then kept us waiting in the ante- While some may not be able to accept it, chamber of the European Union for 15 years. the old world is disappearing. It can’t be We did not experience a genuine reunifica- saved. What can and should be saved is tion with Western Europe. Instead, we were Western (Christian) civilization. We must forced to adapt ourselves to the West. It realize that, as the historian Niall Ferguson never occurred to the West that perhaps it once wrote, “the biggest threat to Western should adapt itself to us. civilization is posed not by other civiliza- During this time, Brussels and its neolib- tions, but by our own pusillanimity — and by eral economic agenda gained increasing the historical ignorance that feeds it.” sway over the member states of the Euro- We Hungarians are well aware that no- pean Union, effectively denying citizens the body has our best interests at heart other right to make their own economic choices. than ourselves. That’s why we continue to In doing so it degraded national elections insist on liberty, democracy and our inde- across the Continent, reducing them to for- pendence as a nation-state. mal exercises in changing governments, not As citizens of a free country in the heart- policies. land of Europe, we have served as gatekeep- Meanwhile, in Hungary some of the suc- ers between East and West for a thousand cessors of the old Communist regime man- years. aged to retain significant influence over the We hope to do so for a thousand more.

ASSOCIATED PRESS Civilians got a close look at Hungarian rebels fighting the Soviets in 1956. .. THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL EDITION FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2019 | S5 World Review

LAM YIK FEI FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES People take part in a rally in Central Hong Kong in June to protest a proposed extradition bill Post-truth politics afflicts the global south, too being drafted by the Chinese government.

Peer-to-peer messaging platforms can Puerto Rico’s governor in July are only a few violence, or worsen mass political manipula- itself was generated by an actual citizen, or- of the societies and types of citizens we have examples. tion. But in the end social media is a mere ganization, government agency, political nurtured. If sometimes we do not like what make monitoring virtually impossible On the other, the alarming number of platform. In that regard, though it may help party or company somewhere in the world. we see, polishing the mirror may not be episodes involving the use of social media reproduce or magnify content, that content Social media is but the crudest reflection enough. platforms to manipulate elections and pub- BY LAURA CHINCHILLA lic debates, as well as the surge of extremist groups using the internet to incite hatred Centuries before the age of social media, in and violence, clearly warns us that the ad- his “Politics,” Aristotle explicitly outlined verse relationship between those platforms the vital trait that sustains modern demo- and democracy is no longer just anecdotal. cratic coexistence, separates us from other Fake news is as old as news, and hate species and makes us, in his famous words, speech is as old as speech. But the digital a “political animal”: the faculty of speech, or, age has provided a ripe environment for the in the Greek, “logos,” meaning not only virulent reproduction and visibility of both. Laura Chinchilla is speech but reason. This reasoned speech, To be clear, the promise of the betterment of vice president of the Aristotle said, is the ability that “serves to the human condition held by new technolo- Club of Madrid and reveal the advantageous and the harmful gies is beyond question. But the risks have chair of the Kofi and hence also the just and unjust ... and become just as apparent. Annan Commission partnership in these things is what makes a While these issues should be of equal con- on Elections and household and a city.” cern to the entire international community, Democracy in the It is our capacity for reasoned communi- the truth is that, at least with regards to the Digital Age. She was cation that makes elections possible and al- manipulation of elections, the global South the president of lows our representative political systems to has often been well outside the spotlight. Costa Rica from function and adapt. Freedom to speak em- Much of our global attention and reporting No 2010 to 2014. powers citizens, individually or collectively, have been focused on the deceptions and to advance their interests and shape the in- distortions afflicting elections in the indus- stitutions whose decisions impact their trial West, such as those that unfolded amid lives. the U.S. presidential race in 2016. Yet today we are deeply concerned about There is a grave danger in overlooking the the very survival of democracy and the rule consequences of this inattention, not only in of law. These civic guarantees make possi- terms of global democratization and demo- higher ble our coexistence, particularly at a time cratic consolidation, but also in the specific when bogus information rapidly spreads ways the use of social media is impacting through social media, radical political con- democratic processes in the South. In India, the world’s largest democracy, fact-checking news sites estimated that during the most recent parliamentary elections, the spread of misinformation increased by power 40 percent compared with non-election times. In February, during Nigeria’s latest elections, false information about the supposed violence in polling stations located in opposition strongholds was widely spread. In Brazil, during the 2018 presidential elections, electoral authorities were forced to re- double their efforts to counter the spread of videos showing false alterations of results in the voting machines. India, Nigeria and Brazil have something in common: the prevalent use of WhatsApp, the preferred messaging app in Africa, Latin America and many Asian countries (with 1.6 billion active users monthly, in 180 coun- THOMAS PETER/REUTERS tries) to share information with family and friends. Unlike other platforms like Facebook, Demonstrators wave tent explodes across digital channels and whose content can be monitored, encrypted their smartphones and public debates increasingly veer toward ex- peer-to-peer messaging platforms like shout slogans during a tremism. Alongside efforts to realize free- WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram and Sig- rally urging the inter- dom of speech in countries still under auto- nal can make monitoring the exchange of in- national community to cratic regimes, new initiatives and debates formation virtually impossible. While it is vi- back their demands have emerged motivated by fears about how tally important to protect users’ privacy, for the government of we are exercising that freedom digitally. peer-to-peer technology also facilitates China to withdraw an Indeed, rights and freedoms, like demo- criminal activity, the cynical spread of false- Accountability is the law of tomorrow extradition bill. cratic processes, require constant scrutiny hoods and mass manipulation. and deliberation regarding their use, their Naturally, some countries are considering The rules of business and society have changed. content and their boundaries, if we want ways to hold companies accountable for the them to endure. harmful content presented on their plat- We are witnessing the increasingly muscular exercise of There are no easy truths when it comes to forms, which will surely trigger necessary the benefits and perils that social media debates on the dynamics between the right executive power. But no one is above the law, not least platforms now present to our governing to privacy, economic freedom and freedom governments and law makers. bodies. of speech. On the one hand, digital technologies have And yet, the most important debate we played a vital role in providing free access to could be having, in both developed and de- Discover what you can do with the government data and information; encour- veloping countries, might be whether or not aging citizen participation in public decision the quality of our public conversations, as law of tomorrow, today at mishcon.com making; introducing new voices to the pub- informed by national levels of education, hu- lic debate; fostering the transparency and man development and institutional scrutiny of administrative actions; knitting strength, is sufficient to reveal the advanta- global advocacies together on issues affect- geous and the harmful, or to separate the ing human rights, the rule of law and democ- just from the unjust, as Aristotle set forth in racy; and mobilizing new actors eager to the 4th century B.C. find alternative avenues for political partici- We certainly have an obligation to warn pation. The Arab Spring almost a decade against the perils of social media, including Business | Dispute Resolution | Real Estate | Mishcon Private ago, the pro-democracy protests in Hong the ways it can facilitate the spread of un- Kong this summer and the toppling of trustworthy information, incite hatred and .. S6 | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2019 THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL EDITION World Review

A strong democracy is a digital democracy Online platforms powered by artificial intelligence let citizens have their say Hundreds of young activists occupied Taiwan’s legis- BY AUDREY TANG lature in 2014 Democracy improves as more people par- to oppose a ticipate. And digital technology remains one new trade pact of the best ways to improve participation — with Beijing. as long as the focus is on finding common ground and creating consensus, not division. These are lessons Taiwan has taken to Audrey Tang is the heart in recent years, with the government digital minister of and the tech community partnering to cre- Taiwan and an active ate online platforms and other digital initia- contributor to g0v. tives that allow everyday citizens to propose and express their opinion on policy reforms. Today, Taiwan is crowdsourcing democracy to create a more responsive government. Fittingly, this movement, which today aims to increase government transparency, was born in a moment of national outrage over a lack of openness and accountability in politics. On March 18, 2014, hundreds of young activists, most of them college students, occupied Taiwan’s legislature to express their profound opposition to a new trade pact with Beijing then under consideration, as well as the secretive manner in which it was being pushed through Parliament by the Kuom- intang, the ruling party. Catalyzing what came to be known as the Sunflower Movement, the protesters demanded that the pact be scrapped and that the government institute a more transparent ratification process. The occupation, which drew widespread public support, ended a little more than WALLY SANTANA/ASSOCIATED PRESS three weeks later, after the government promised greater legislative oversight of the trade pact. (To this day, the pact has yet itors — almost half of Taiwan’s population — led to public confusion about why some pun- to be approved by Taiwan’s legislature.) A since it began in 2015. ishments can be so light compared with oth- poll released after the occupation, however, VTaiwan and Join are opening more Together, vTaiwan and Join are opening ers. showed that 76 percent of the nation re- direct lines of communication. up more direct lines of communication be- One of the digital tools developed by the mained dissatisfied with the Kuomintang tween Taiwan’s government and its citizens, Judicial Yuan team addresses this confusion government, illustrating the crisis of trust producing tremendous benefits for the for- by giving the public a better sense of why caused by the trade deal dispute. has tackled 30 issues, relying on a mix of on- that attract more supporters, creating a mer. Officials are exposed to new ideas and punishments can differ for the same crime. To heal this rift and communicate better line debate and face-to-face discussions path toward consensus. ways of thinking, while identifying core pub- Any user can simply enter in the relevant with everyday citizens, the administration with stakeholders. Though the government VTaiwan has been used to solve a number lic service demands. data for a hypothetical drunken-driving of- reached out to a group of civic-minded hack- is not obligated to follow vTaiwan’s recom- of particularly thorny digital policy prob- The Presidential Hackathon is yet an- fense, such as blood alcohol concentration ers and coders, known as g0v (pronounced mendations (a policy that may soon lems. In 2015, it helped break an impasse other tech initiative bringing Taiwan’s pub- and the type of vehicle involved. The appli- “gov-zero”), who had been seeking to im- change), the group’s work often leads to con- over how best to regulate Uber, which had lic, private and social sectors together to cation then lists the appropriate penalties prove government transparency through crete action. arrived in Taiwan two years earlier prompt- solve urgent problems. At the event, the first for the case, while also showing sentences the creation of open-source tools. The orga- VTaiwan partly relies on a unique digital ing opposition from taxi drivers. of which was held last year, teams of hackers from real-world drunken-driving cases that nization had come to the attention of the tool known as Pol.is to ensure its crowd- In 2016, hundreds of ordinary citizens us- — composed of either private citizens or are similar to the one described. (The team government during the Sunflower occupa- sourced policy debates remain civil and ing the platform managed within a few government workers — compete to design analyzed over 50,000 verdicts from previous tion, when g0v hackers had worked closely reach consensus. Using Pol.is, any vTaiwan weeks to come up with new regulations for the most innovative improvements to the drunken-driving offenses to create the tool.) with the protesters. participant can post a comment about the online liquor sales, after multiyear discus- nation’s public services. Instead of prize In this way, users get a better understanding In December 2014, Jaclyn Tsai, a govern- topic or policy being discussed. Crucially, sions among business and social groups had money, the best teams receive a promise of how slight changes in, for example, blood ment minister focused on digital technology, other users cannot directly reply to these broken down. And in 2018, vTaiwan helped from the government that it will apply their alcohol concentration can lead to radically attended a g0v-sponsored hackathon and statements, which reduces the likelihood of to create new regulations for the platform ideas. different penalties. proposed the establishment of a neutral trolling and abuse. Instead, they can click economy. One of the top teams in this year’s In the closing speech of this year’s Presi- platform where various online communities “agree,” “disagree” or “pass/unsure” on Taiwan also relies on another civic en- hackathon included officials from the Judi- dential Hackathon, President Tsai Ing-wen could exchange policy ideas. each comment. gagement platform called Join, this one cial Yuan, the judicial branch of the Taiwan- encouraged government officials to em- Several contributors from g0v responded Using real-time machine learning, Pol.is maintained entirely by the government. ese government. The team developed two brace a hacker spirit as they work to meet by partnering with the government to start analyzes all the votes on the comments to Though similar to vTaiwan in that it uses Po- digital tools to make the nation’s judicial sys- the public’s needs. “Do it bravely; dare to the vTaiwan platform in 2015. VTaiwan produce an interactive map that groups like- l.is to create consensus, Join tackles matters tem more legible and transparent for every- make mistakes,” she said. In Taiwan, digital (which stands for “virtual Taiwan”) brings minded participants together in relation to beyond the digital economy, such as vacan- day Taiwanese. technology is boosting civic dialogue and in- together representatives from the public, other, differently minded users. The map cy taxes and drug prescriptions for animals. Drunken driving is an issue of broad pub- fusing government with the spirit of social private and social sectors to debate policy lays bare the gaps between various groups Compared to the hundreds of thousands lic concern in Taiwan. And in recent years, innovation. By giving everyone a voice, Tai- solutions to problems primarily related to — as well as any areas of agreement. Ideally, who have debated issues on vTaiwan, Join’s the differing sentences handed out to driv- wan is strengthening its democracy for the the digital economy. Since it began, vTaiwan this incentivizes people to post comments website has hosted 10.6 million unique vis- ers involved in high-profile accidents have future.

In the land of voiceless women

Turkish leaders need us during elections but the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report for 2018, which measures fac- often use us to achieve their political goals tors such as women’s access to economic op- portunity and their level of political empow- erment. In the local elections that took place BY ASLI PERKER last March, only four of the country’s 81 pro- vincial capitals elected women as mayors. In the 1980s, as a teenager, I lived for two Female representatives make up a scant 17 years at the outskirts of Erzurum, a city in percent of the Turkish Parliament. northeast Turkey. Once in a while, I would The lack of real commitment to change take the bus to the city center, about 14 miles isn’t anything new. The educated women of away. the Ottoman Empire were already cam- Since I got on the bus at the first stop, I paigning for their rights when Mustafa Ke- would always get a seat. But I knew it was mal Atatürk proclaimed the foundation of Asli Perker is a only a matter of time before I would feel the Turkish Republic in 1923. Many of the Turkish journalist compelled to offer it to an older traveler. I men who had led the charge publicly sup- and novelist. had been taught to be considerate of my eld- ported their feminist efforts, hailing those ers, but knowing who those were could at women as the “face of modernity” — a sym- times be difficult. bol that the new regime could use to inspire The majority of women on the bus wore a the whole nation to embrace Western val- local Islamic dress called “ehram.” Figuring ues. out how old they were was nearly impossi- Among those women was Nezihe Muhid- ble. Resembling a potato sack, the ehram din, an intellectual who spoke five lan- would cover a woman’s whole body, includ- guages, wrote about feminist issues and was ing her face. Unless you had seen her mov- a staunch supporter of women’s emancipa- ing, you couldn’t tell if you were talking to tion. She was exactly the woman the new re- her face or to her back. public wanted — until she and a group of fel- It was really a challenge for me to address low activists decided to establish the Wom- those women. When I tried to talk to them OZAN KOSE/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE — GETTY IMAGES en’s People Party. The government rejected using the urban vernacular that I was used Portraits in Istanbul of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey. their application, noting how women did not to, it fell flat. In my family, everyone was an have the right to vote and get elected yet. avid reader and addressed each other as if (Turkish women weren’t granted the right we lived in a Victorian novel. The women on to vote until 1934.) the bus had a whole different vocabulary. Women are underrepresented in govern- Defeated, Muhiddin eventually withdrew Even though we were in the same city, we ment. And patriarchal norms pervade soci- from public life. She had realized that she lived in different worlds. ety as a whole, relegating many of us to sub- The irony in this is that Turkish women often couldn’t do much to improve the life of Turk- Throughout my life, I have lived all over ordinate roles and the domestic sphere. have no voice in society, let alone politics. ish women. She continued to write novels Turkey. The differences among the women I There was a moment, in the early 2000s, and short stories, and died in a mental insti- have met along the way couldn’t have been when it seemed as if things would change. A tution in 1958. more drastic. Conservative, religious, liber- new, moderately conservative political en think they actually had a voice: Finally, Sure, there have been some positive out- Ninety-six years after the foundation of al, secularist: The ways we talk, dress and party, had just appeared on the scene: the somebody needed them and their votes. comes. The negotiations over Turkey’s ac- the Turkish Republic, the story of Muhiddin communicate set us apart. Even our looks Justice and Development Party, or A.K.P. The strategy continued as President Re- cession to the European Union galvanized still resonates. In Turkey, women are always can be different. Its leaders talked about empowering cep Tayyip Erdogan consolidated his grip on efforts to enshrine gender equality into the a definition. For Atatürk they were the mod- But there is one thing that we all have in women, both in politics and society. They power. His increasingly populist rhetoric Turkish Constitution in the early 2000s. Two ern face of Turkey; for President Erdogan, common: We are entitled to vote by law, and centered their political discourse around is- has proved successful in galvanizing less ed- laws, in 1998 and 2012, established a series of they are mothers above all else. this makes us needed during election time. sues that Turkish women cared about, such ucated women from more conservative measures to protect women from domestic As we conform to these labels, we are en- (Voting in Turkey has been mandatory since as social welfare. “Women branches” of the backgrounds. By positioning himself as the violence. A new labor act in 2003 formally couraged to erase our diversity and dim our 1983.) party started appearing all over the country. fatherly leader of the nation, he has won granted women the right to maternity leave light. But this is not the way forward. The The irony in this is that Turkish women of- The A.K.P. was phenomenally effective at them over. And by encouraging them to pro- and equal treatment at work. differences among us make us who we are ten have no voice in society, let alone poli- utilizing the power of women as voters, urg- create and raise their children as good Mus- But while their issues might have gained as a nation. Only when we realize it, we will tics. Female work force participation is con- ing them to go to the polls and express their lims, he gives these women purpose as some visibility, women still have no voice. be able to start changing the system for the sistently low by international standards. support for the party. It made Turkish wom- mothers of Turkey’s future. Turkey ranks 130th out of 149 countries in better. .. THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL EDITION FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2019 | S7 World Review

Police officers in Make U.S. voting mandatory riot gear detaining a protester in July during an unau- Low voter turnout isn’t just embarrassing. It’s a threat to democracy. thorized rally in Moscow over city elections. BY DAMBISA MOYO Around the world, citizens appear to be re- engaging with democracy. In May, voter turnout at the European parliamentary elections reached a 20-year high, and in 2018 turnout for the United States midterm elections was the highest in a hundred years. Yet in each instance, voter turnout Dambisa Moyo is an reached just a feeble 50 percent. In the con- economist and the text of recent history, that was a surge. In author of “Edge of the 2014 United States midterms, only 37 Chaos: Why Democ- percent of the electorate voted, rising to 50 racy Is Failing to percent in 2018. In Europe, this year’s turn- Deliver Economic out was 50 percent — up from 42 percent in Growth — and How 2014. to Fix It.” While turnouts are higher in United States presidential elections — 60 percent in 2016 — can we say that democracy is thriv- ing when 40 to 50 percent of voters still opt to stay at home? The United States is generally near the bottom of the list of well-off KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE — GETTY IMAGES countries in its rate of voter participation. Shortly after the 2014 elections, Senator Bernie Sanders admonished the country,

saying “Americans should be embarrassed.” JOSH EDELSON/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE—GETTY IMAGES The low voter turnout, he wrote in The Behind the electoral curtain Guardian, “was an international disgrace.” A man casts his ballot at city hall in San Fran- Low voter turnout encourages politicians cisco during midterm elections in 2018. to design policies that cater to the interests Leaders of post-Soviet regimes are chipping away at democracy of the few over the many. This, in turn, pro- motes societal division and harms the econ- is mandatory voting, which is currently the omy. law in more than 20 countries. MOSCOW a veneer of democracy — by, for example, In the United States, nearly half the peo- In 1893 Belgium became the first democ- holding elections that offer voters no real ple who don’t vote have family incomes be- racy to institute compulsory voting by par- choice. low $30,000, and just 19 percent of likely vot- liamentary act. Backers saw it as a way to BY CELESTINE BOHLEN Those leaders, typically posing as “fa- ers come from low-income families. So it’s empower the working classes. Australia in- thers of the nation,” were quick to tap into hardly surprising that the Economist Intelli- troduced compulsory voting through an As a rolling group of protesters occupied their populations’ longing for security dur- gence Unit’s Democracy Index downgraded amendment to its Electoral Act in 1924, in re- streets in central Moscow this past July, a ing changing times. Six of the seven “not the United States from a “full democracy” to sponse to declining voter numbers. Turnout liberal opposition newspaper published a free” ex-Soviet countries happen to be a “flawed democracy” in 2017, based on di- in 1922 had fallen below 60 percent from photograph of a young woman blocked by buoyed by generous natural resources — minished voter engagement and confidence more than 70 percent in 1919. The impact of Celestine Bohlen is a the police at a steel barricade. The sign she mostly oil and gas — which have helped fuel in the democratic process. legislation was swift: In 1925, 91 percent of former New York held up read, “I have the right to a choice.” their economies, and their leaders’ cults of This long-term apathy puts the political the electorate voted. What’s more, a century Times Moscow At a time when scholars are debating personality. The exception is Belarus, where system at risk. The government’s credibility later, compulsory voting still works. correspondent who whether democracy has been discredited, President Alexander G. Lukashenko has is threatened when so few people partici- The bigger the voter pool, the stronger the covered the collapse even within Western nations, the rallying created a tightly controlled political system pate. In the interest of preserving democra- contract is between citizens and leaders. In of the Soviet Union cry in Moscow went straight to the point: that has kept him in power since 1994. Bela- cy, we need engaged citizens to go to the this year’s European parliamentary elec- in the 1990s. Elections that offer no choice are not only a rus is considered the most Soviet of the ex- polls. tions, mandatory voting in Belgium and sham, but also proof of a ruling govern- republics, and it is totally dependent on An effective way to address this problem Luxembourg led respectively to turnouts of ment’s determination to block any challenge neighboring Russia for its energy supplies. — one that might not appeal to Americans about 90 percent and 86 percent. By com- — however unthreatening — to its self-per- Across resource-rich Central Asia — with who hate the idea of being told what to do — VOTING, PAGE S8 petuating power. the exception of Kyrgyzstan (which Free- That’s why thousands of people took to dom House defines as “partly free”) — lead- the streets in Moscow this summer to pro- ers have combined old tribal traditions with test the disqualification of some 30 inde- Communist-era bureaucratic practices to pendent opposition candidates in Septem- maintain a staggeringly durable grip on ber’s city elections. The candidates were re- power. Kazakhstan’s president resigned in jected on numerous grounds, including that March after 30 years in power; Uzbekistan’s the signatures and documents they had col- president died in 2016 after 27 years in lected in order to run for office were false or power; and Tajikistan’s leader is still in invalid. power after 25 years. The thoroughness of the rejection by Turkmenistan, which ranks second to the Moscow’s election authorities was com- bottom on Freedom House’s list and worse pounded by the absurdity of some of their than North Korea for press freedom, accord- claims: that candidates had submitted sig- ing to Reporters Without Borders, is now natures with incomplete addresses or that ruled by a former dentist who, after 13 years their signatories didn’t even exist. And all of of absolute power, is already rivaling his this regarding an election to a local council predecessor’s love of self-glorifying vanity that has little clout in President Vladimir V. projects. Putin’s power vertical. In her 2015 book “Democracy in Central Elections in post-Soviet Russia have been Asia,” Mariya Omelicheva, an associate pro- troubled from the earliest days of the 28- fessor at the University of Kansas, argues that Central Asia’s strongmen survive because their populations support them. “Cen- tral Asian citizens perceive democracy as In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, an empty ideological framework or a recipe elections offer voters no real choice. for mayhem,” she said in a 2015 interview with The Diplomat. Thank you She argued that Western efforts to pro- year-old federated republic. But this year’s mote democracy in the region had failed be- The Athens Democracy Forum would like to thank its protests, amplified by the blanket arrest of cause they were frequently accompanied by speakers, delegates and sponsors for their contribution opposition leaders and the detention of “moral posturing,” “political demonizing” some 1,400 demonstrators at an unsanc- and “finger-pointing,” which only backfire. in making this year’s Forum such a success. tioned protest on July 27, have thrown a par- “Funding the organization of free and fair ticularly harsh light on Mr. Putin’s deep- elections in societies that lack independent ening authoritarian rule. media, civil society networks and free We look forward to seeing you next year: The situation in Russia highlights a dis- speech will not only result in the waste of re- September 30 - October 2, 2020. turbing trend spotted by Freedom House, a sources, but also invalidate democracy,” she nonprofit research organization, in its 2019 said. In Cooperation With: annual report, “Democracy in Retreat.” Af- Traditions in Russia are different from ter a surge toward democracy in the years those in Central Asia, but here too liberal de- following the fall of the Berlin Wall and the mocracy — with its independent branches of collapse of Communism, the global share of government, freedom of speech and assem- “free” countries — as defined by Freedom bly, and individual rights — has had diffi- House — declined between 2005 and 2018 to culty taking hold. Now in his 19th year in Headline Sponsors Gold Sponsors 44 percent from 46 percent, while the share power, Mr. Putin is widely seen by analysts of “not free” countries rose to 26 percent as already circling the wagons ahead of the from 23 percent. critical year 2024, when he will finish his last This trend persists in Central Europe with constitutional term in office. a worsening rating for Hungary, where Unlike neighboring Ukraine, Russia has Prime Minister Viktor Orban has touted the never experienced a peaceful transfer of virtues of “illiberal democracy.” Mr. Putin power since the Soviet collapse. Mr. Putin Silver Sponsors Bronze Sponsors has also chipped away at the concept of lib- was handpicked by President Boris N. Yel- eral democracy: In a June interview with tsin to succeed him in 2000, in an election The Financial Times, he declared that the where other candidates were at a disadvan- “liberal idea has become obsolete” because tage. Ukraine, in contrast, this year elected a it is in conflict with the “interests” and “tra- new president and a new parliamentary ma- ditional values” of the majority population. jority, who were in opposition to the depart- In fact, liberal democracy — usually de- ing ruling party. Co-organized SDG Partners Legal Partner Official Official fined as a popularly elected government In his Financial Times interview, Mr. With Airline Partner Hotel Partner based on individual rights, the rule of law Putin chose two bizarre examples to illus- and the separation of powers — has not trate the “liberal idea” behind Western de- fared well across the former Soviet Union mocracies to which he is so opposed: the since 1991, when the Cold War superpower rights of migrants “to kill, plunder and rape collapsed into 15 independent states. Ac- with impunity,” and the acceptance of “five cording to the rating system used by Free- or six gender roles” for children, which he dom House, only three of those 15 republics said was an attempt to “overshadow the cul- Official Education Cultural Experiences Supporters are fully free; these are the Baltic States: ture, traditions and traditional family values Venue Partner Partners Partner Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Of the rest, of millions of people making up the core pop- five are “partly free,” and seven, including ulation.” Russia, are “not free.” Both issues — which Mr. Putin seemed to Furthermore, three former Soviet states suggest were supported and accepted by a — Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan liberal dogma now holding sway in the West — are among the 13 countries in the world — fit neatly into the exaggerated right-wing with the worst aggregate scores from Free- rhetoric currently heard across Europe and dom House, which bases its ratings on the the United States. levels of political rights and civil liberties Curiously, these issues had nothing to do Media Partners available in the country. with the concerns that propelled supporters These are disappointing results given the of the Russian opposition onto Moscow’s high hopes of many people in the region dur- streets this summer. They weren’t pro- ing the heady early days of independence. testing against changes in gender roles or Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for a num- the arrival of violent migrants, but simply ber of leaders of ex-Soviet republics to figure for the democratic right to have their voices out how to give their authoritarian regimes heard. .. S8 | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2019 THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL EDITION World Review

In Sudan, women showed the world how it’s done

In order to create real change and stable First, quotas must be set for female repre- sentation at all levels of government. Re- democracies, women must take the lead search has shown that gender quotas, al- though not a perfect system, do help women overcome the cultural, economic and elec- BY ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF toral barriers that keep them from holding elected office. Such quotas can later be The world watched earlier this year as the phased out, based on the recognition that people of Sudan rose up to demand the oust- women, once in office, will begin to share in er of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, an the benefits normally granted to men. authoritarian who had presided over three Mandated quotas of various kinds have decades of brutal rule. A protest over bread gained traction in Africa and around the prices quickly blossomed into a full- world in recent years. For example, a consti- throated demand for civilian government. tutional requirement in Rwanda — the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf On April 11, after nearly four months of dem- world’s leader in terms of female represen- is the former presi- onstrations, the military announced it had tation in Parliament — stipulates that wom- dent of Liberia arrested Mr. al-Bashir, finally ending his en must account for at least 30 percent of all (2006-2018) and a reign. decision-making organizations in govern- joint recipient of the Sudanese women were at the forefront of ment. 2011 Nobel Peace this movement for democracy and change, In the case of Sudan, which recently em- Prize. having endured years of marginalization, barked on a three-year transition toward de- harassment and sexual violence. By some mocracy after months of unrest, women estimates, they made up as many as two- must have a large seat at the negotiating ta- thirds of the protesters. A photo of the young ble and play an active role in the peace protester Alaa Salah leading a chant against process. In a hopeful sign, Sudan’s new cab- the regime became a viral sensation, illus- inet includes the country’s first female for- trating the revolutionary power of the coun- eign minister, Asma Mohamed Abdalla. try’s women. Second, the international community The protest movement that ousted Mr. al- must be more responsive in advocating for Bashir is yet another example of African stronger democratic institutions. Instead of women’s increasing participation in the po- becoming involved only after tragedy oc- litical process, whether as activists or legis- curs, as happened in Sudan, international lators. As of July 2019, four of the world’s top actors and institutions must learn to detect 15 countries with the highest percentage of the warning signs of impending violence

female lawmakers in their lower or single AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE — GETTY IMAGES and lend support by pressing for open dia- houses of parliament are in Africa. Thirteen logue, ensuring that women have the right African nations have parliaments with fe- Alaa Salah, a Sudanese protester, in April. A photo of her leading a chant against President Omar Hassan al-Bashir became a sensation. to speak up. In this way, nations can make male membership at 30 percent or higher. the transition to democracy without resort- Creating inclusive democracies takes ing to mass protests and bloodshed. time, however. And inclusion cannot occur Third, we must support girls in Africa and without strong democratic institutions and with the opposition estimated that 127 peo- branches of government. er equality in governance, a nation’s “rela- around the world, by providing them with basic respect for the rule of law, both of ple were killed and approximately 70 raped Electing more women to office normalizes tive state of peace” is increased, security is education, health care and economic em- which have long been absent in Sudan. in the attack. The following month, several the idea that women and other marginalized improved and there is less aggression to- powerment. We also need to think seriously The months between Mr. al-Bashir’s oust- student demonstrators were shot and killed groups can wield power effectively. It also ward other countries. In turn, when democ- about leadership training, whether that er in April and the August signing of a tran- by security forces in the city of El-Obeid. changes the government’s priorities and racy is stronger, women are less likely to suf- means providing assistance to the young sitional power-sharing agreement between As Mo Ibrahim, the Sudanese-born busi- makes it function better over all. Various fer violence and enjoy greater political and women who are bold enough to enter politics Sudan’s ruling military council and the pro- nessman and philanthropist, has written, studies have shown that women tend to be economic equality. or creating networking platforms that em- democracy opposition were marked by “Intimidation, harassment and violence less autocratic and to work more collabora- How can we set this virtuous cycle of in- power women across cultures and conti- widespread protests and violence. On June have no place in a democracy.” How right he tively. Research also suggests that govern- clusion and democracy in motion? The nents. 3, a paramilitary group known as the Rapid is. ments with more women in office are more question must be asked, not only in Sudan as Sudan’s democratic revolution would not Response Forces attacked pro-democracy But in order for democracies to be safe, likely to spend money on health care and ed- the country works to build a stable civilian have been possible without the efforts of protesters in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, as women must have power. That means more ucation and to advance women’s rights. government, but also all across the world, as women and girls. I believe that, in time, Su- they demanded an end to the military-led than just the right to vote; women need real A 2017 study by the Brookings Institution women struggle for equality and represen- danese women will enjoy the full fruits of de- government that took power after Mr. al-Ba- decision-making authority. Their voices found that gender equality and democracy tation. mocracy. Until then, we must stand with shir’s arrest. A doctors’ group associated must be heard on the streets and in all strengthen each other. When there is great- I humbly offer three suggestions. them, in our words and deeds.

Require Americans to vote

JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE — GETTY IMAGES Voters cast their ballots at a polling location at the Community House in Rockport, Mass., on Election Day in 2018.

VOTING, FROM PAGE S7 tion of such tests would be ripe for criticism parison, turnout in France was 50 percent, and, if implemented carelessly, subject to and in the Netherlands it was 42 percent. abuse and discrimination. Some would If the United States had mandatory vot- surely object to this proposal as reviving the ing, there likely would be a greater turnout sorts of tests once used to disenfranchise ra- among lower-income groups and minorities, cial minorities and the poor in the United which could lead to a change in the types of States, and certainly we must ensure such politicians elected. One might think this discrimination does not occur again. Yet let- would favor Democratic candidates, but ting voters be under informed shortchanges that’s not necessarily the case. While com- them. pulsory voting has been assumed to help A more extreme requirement would see Australia’s Labor Party, for example, it has democracies allocate greater weight to the not prevented right-of-center parties from votes of citizens who are more engaged in holding power. the political process. In 2018, the United Research on mandatory voting does not States Supreme Court ruled that Ohio can provide a clear picture of its political conse- exclude voters from the electoral rolls if they don’t vote for a few election cycles and don’t return an address-confirmation card. Six other states have similar laws in place. Voting in a democracy isn’t just a right, The court’s decision rewards citizens who it’s a responsibility remain engaged in the electoral process and punishes those who don’t. This might seem like a step back from the democratic ideal of quences. Still, it’s clear that a voting require- one person one vote, but it brings into sharp ment can change the makeup of the elector- focus the importance of voting as a civic ate. After the Netherlands removed manda- duty. That said, it should be implemented in tory voting in 1967, voter participation fell a way that encourages people to engage and by nearly 20 percent. vote rather than serving to “clean up” an We should also consider other, more radi- electoral register. cal, ways to make voters better informed In the face of serious long-term economic and more engaged. For instance, citizens threats, the world’s strongest republics could be required to pass a government- must demonstrate that they can be resilient, sanctioned civics test to vote. In the United not by resisting change but by adapting. States, Australia and several European and This requires a willingness to explore ideas Asian countries, immigrants — regardless that could fortify democracy. For skeptics — of education level or country of origin — are and for those who believe the answer is al- already required to pass civics tests to be- ways more freedom, not less — the answer come citizens. may be to put the securing of tomorrow’s Of course, the checkered history of civil freedoms above the right to skip out on vot- rights and suffrage means even the sugges- ing today.