من وراء ظهور الناس.. حول أزمة الديمقراطية الليبرالية

Everyone is talking about democracy and its crisis. But what do we really mean when we talk about democracy? Jörg Baberowski reminds us of its great strength: that it does not allow political opponents to become sworn enemies, because even a loser has hope of winning the next election. A democracy that fears the feelings of the people and narrows the political space deprives itself of this power. If we want to preserve our freedom, we must regain our sovereignty over our decisions. Otherwise, advocates of authoritarianism will find it easy to convince us that dictatorship is the true form of democracy. Everywhere, those who invoke the people must endure critical scrutiny from those they claim to represent. Therefore, populism is always rooted in the model of representation. But the vociferous opposition is not just an inappropriate revolt from the “rabble,” it is an indication that many people feel invisible and unrepresented. Populism is a cry of pain that demands attention. In this sense, it is also a revival of democracy. Those who refuse to listen to dissenting views and dismiss them outright rob democracy of its greatest strength: its ability to enable us to find common ground even in the midst of disagreement. When political opponents deny each other the right to exist, the dissenting voice turns into a monster. This means the end of democracy. Therefore, this book seeks to please everyone and please no one at the same time, and to prove that party conflict is the essence of democracy.