The retreat of democracies is troubling enough. The very idea of democracy and its promotion has been tarnished among many, contributing to a dangerous apathy. Perhaps worst of all, and most worrisome for the future, young people, who have little memory of the long struggles against fascism and communism, may be losing faith and interest in the democratic project.

Centrist newcomer Emmanuel Macron handily won the French presidency, but in Germany and the Netherlands, mainstream parties struggled to create stable governing coalitions. While they were kept out of government in all but Austria, their success at the polls helped to weaken established parties on both the right and left. Right-wing populists gained votes and parliamentary seats in France, the Netherlands, Germany, and Austria during 2017. The challenges within democratic states have fueled the rise of populist leaders who appeal to anti-immigrant sentiment and give short shrift to fundamental civil and political liberties. Meanwhile, the world’s most powerful democracies are mired in seemingly intractable problems at home, including social and economic disparities, partisan fragmentation, terrorist attacks, and an influx of refugees that has strained alliances and increased fears of the “other.” The military in Myanmar, which began a limited democratic opening in 2010, executed a shocking campaign of ethnic cleansing in 2017 and rebuffed international criticism of its actions. States that a decade ago seemed like promising success stories-Turkey and Hungary, for example-are sliding into authoritarian rule. For the 12th consecutive year, according to Freedom in the World, countries that suffered democratic setbacks outnumbered those that registered gains. Today, it is democracy that finds itself battered and weakened. The values it embodies-particularly the right to choose leaders in free and fair elections, freedom of the press, and the rule of law-are under assault and in retreat globally.Ī quarter-century ago, at the end of the Cold War, it appeared that totalitarianism had at last been vanquished and liberal democracy had won the great ideological battle of the 20th century. Emergency Assistance and Thematic Programsĭemocracy is in crisis.Afghanistan Human Rights Coordination Mechanism.Government Accountability & Transparency.

Among the red rulers pdf