A resilient democracy needs maintenance
image: Fred Moon on Unsplash
Bastiaan Rijpkema, Professor of Jurisprudence, has written an op-ed in Dutch newspaper ‘NRC’ calling for more resilient democracy in 2025: ‘A democratic ethos requires more than just impassioned speeches.’
The professor writes that for some time now democracies have been swimming against the political tide. Although 2024 was the year with the highest amount of people ever being allowed to vote, electoral autocracies are on the rise. How can democracies counter this movement? More political engagement, better maintenance, regulation of access to the democratic arena and reinforcing the parliamentary system.
Basically: we need to get back to doing our ‘democratic homework’. Rijpkema: ‘Let 2025 be the year that politicians actually turn concerns about the democratic rule of law into better maintenance to protect democracy and the rule of law.’