The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, warned today of the progressive erosion of democracy and growing dissatisfaction with it internationally.
“In the 21st century, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we are also fighting one of the most decisive battles to defend democracy and the values it represents. This is therefore a pivotal moment worldwide, when the devastating socioeconomic effects of the pandemic also compel us to reflect on the present with a view to the future,” he said at the opening of the initiative “For a New Social Contract: Renewing Democracy to Leave No One Behind”, taking place today at Casa de América.
The seminar is a project organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the Carolina Foundation. It aims to deepen joint reflection on dissatisfaction with democracy and the crisis of governance in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as to contribute to institutional modernisation and the strengthening of democracy, in keeping with Spain’s longstanding commitment to the countries of the region.
“At the global level, for example, the Varieties of Democracy Institute warns in its 2022 annual report that we have gone back 30 years in democratic terms and that democracy is currently at pre-1989 levels,” Albares stated.
“The latest Latinobarómetro report also points out that citizens’ criticism of democracy is a demand for more democracy. It is not, therefore, the system itself — democracy — that is being called into question. Rather, the debate centres on how democracy functions and its capacity to respond to society’s aspirations, which lies at the very heart of the ‘social contract’ we have established for ourselves,” he emphasised.
“Other studies also reveal that indifference is a significant component of disappointment with the poor functioning of democracy. According to the latest edition of Latinobarómetro, this indifference has increased by 11 percentage points over the past decade, rising from 16% in 2010 to 27% in 2020,” Albares explained.
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