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Prof. Dr. Peter Schäfer: “Democracy will ultimately prevail worldwide!”

Wars and refugees are shaking up international politics, right-wing populist parties are experiencing a massive upswing and Donald Trump is being sworn in as US President again. Surveys show: A majority of German citizens are now worried about democracy in the face of many changes. We spoke to Prof. Dr. Peter Schäfer, Professor of European Law, about whether these concerns are justified and where democracy is under threat.

Under massive pressure, but certainly resilient: this is how Prof. Dr. Peter Schäfer currently sees democracy; source: adobestock_712051211;

Prof. Schäfer, to put it quite provocatively: is the era of democracy coming to an end?

“No, but democracy as a form of government is being challenged on four main fronts worldwide: firstly by the global migration and refugee movement, which is causing fear and rejection of migrants by the local population in the host countries. The first distribution battles are breaking out. The welfare state, the “breadbasket” of democracy, so to speak, is reaching its limits.

Secondly, nationalism is flaring up again everywhere – even and especially in Western democracies. The population feels alienated in their own country due to the high level of immigration. They are defending themselves against directives from “distant powers” such as the EU or international organizations.

Thirdly, we in the West have become too accustomed to the blessings and self-evident nature of democratic guarantees. Three generations have already known no war or dictatorship in their own country since 1945 and have probably become too fed up and comfortable to fight for democracy.

Fourthly, the figureheads of democracy, the elected politicians, are increasingly prone to navel-gazing and self-service. This creates disenchantment among the population. There are therefore calls for a strong leader to drain the Berlin, Paris, Washington or other political “swamp”. Democracy is therefore more endangered than it has been since the 1930s, but it will ultimately prevail worldwide.”

Let’s start by narrowing things down in general terms: What are the essential characteristics of our democracy today?

“My research group has so far been able to identify 10 characteristics of a Western-style democracy: At the top of the list are: the protection of human and civil rights, pluralism and freedom of expression as well as free, fair and equal elections. We have increasingly found that two other factors are decisive for the acceptance of our democracy: the people’s trust in this form of government and the compliance/predictability of political processes.”

Has this concept of democracy actually changed or expanded since the creation of the Basic Law – are we perhaps even dealing with permanent change?

“The political processes today are more protracted and complex than they were 75 years ago in 1949. Everyone wants to “have a say”: an army of lobbyists, associations, non-governmental organizations, social media, talk show regulars or all kinds of commissioners for “death and the devil” (e.g. data protection, equality, East Germany…).

We consult and coordinate ourselves to death. Whereas Konrad Adenauer’s Federal Chancellery still fitted into a small villa in the 1950s, today entire staffs work there in a Berlin mega-authority. A stable three-party system of CDU/CSU, SPD and FDP that lasted for decades has been transformed into a colorful parliament with changing coalitions and expanding left and right wings. Democracy has become more variable and therefore more vulnerable.”

Prof. Dr. Peter Schäfer
Prof. Dr. Peter Schäfer; Image: Hof University of Applied Sciences;

Is it possible to distinguish the German or Central European concept of democracy from that of other regions – and what are the differences?

“Hardly, because the basic guarantees of a democratic state are the same worldwide. These include the rights of a political opposition and the guarantee of a non-violent transfer of power from government A to government B. However, some countries have a very strong executive, i.e. a strong presidential office in the system of separation of powers – such as the USA and the already autocratic Russia. Some countries, such as Switzerland or Denmark, involve their citizens more directly and spontaneously in legislation through referendums. Finally, India is proof that democratic elections can be held with legal certainty even in a country with 1.4 billion people. The Chinese population, which is almost the same size, will end the autocratic rule of the Communist Party before 2050 – I’m sure of it.”

How important is the population’s trust in democracy? And if it is important, how do we measure this trust?

“This trust is ELEMENTARY for the continued existence of our democracy. I only go to the polls if I am sure that my vote will still count in four years’ time and then again. Trust is a personal, “soft” feeling in the reliability and consistency of fellow human beings and institutions. We cannot measure it as validly and precisely as temperature and air pressure. However, this year we want to ask students between the ages of 15 and 19 from all types of schools in Upper Franconia how their trust in democracy has changed since the end of the coronavirus crisis in 2022 and why.”

Is Western-style democracy still competitive with authoritarian systems?

“Yes, democracy is and remains the most sustainable, future-proof form of government! It is the only way to ensure the contribution of all of a country’s clever, sometimes heated minds. Only it guarantees “re-presentation”, i.e. my own “rediscovery” in state decisions – albeit often very indirectly and imperfectly. The responsible, enlightened citizen of the 21st century now knows that dictatorships are not headed by “ideal” dictators, but by power-hungry narcissists à la Trump and Xi Jinping. However, democracy must become faster and bolder: clearing out tax law with its loopholes, checking social benefits more quickly, issuing building permits more quickly, sentencing criminals more quickly, planning and building transport routes more quickly – that is what is needed. Democracy must score points with citizens.”

How can democracy stand the test of time at a time when modern technology is also enabling more and more manipulation?

“That’s a sore point! The constitutional control procedures of a democracy will usually lag behind the technical possibilities of manipulation. The reservation of the law, the right to be heard and data protection inhibit democratic watchdogs in comparison to their Russian or Iranian counterparts. In my opinion, social media octopuses like X and Meta must be regularly broken up by the competition authorities to prevent them from abusing their market power.”

…and let’s think about the topic of artificial intelligence – many see dangers here too.

“AI promises us a lot and should not be demonized prematurely. But in the political process of a democracy, the natural human being must have the final control and decision, e.g. in the selection of personnel or a court ruling. However, Israel and the UK – two undisputed democracies – prove that the secret services of democratic states can also effectively and quickly counter attacks by despotic states on the Western model of government through cyber warfare, trolls and fake news.”

Thank you very much for the interview!

Rainer Krauß

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