Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy

La démocratie est d’abord un état d’esprit
(Pierre Mendes, France)

Abstract

The presentation focuses on two challenges to the future of democracy:

• The need to support young democracies to build a strong network of democratically governed states as the best guarantor of security and prosperity.
• The need to reinvigorate the primacy of politics in managing the global common goods and interest.

Two relevant contextual dynamics are identified:

• The need to modernize modernization theory.
• The challenge of the paradox of globalization vs. glocalization.

The presentation concludes with three recommendations:

• The need of an European Consensus on democracy support in its external relations.
• Focus on support for young democracies and invest in strong international network of democratically governed states
• Invest in the search for a global social contract to democratically govern the global common goods and interests