Global Political Crises: Commonalities and Challenges

The political crises unfolding across countries such as Nepal, France, and the United States highlight common challenges faced by democracies, despite differing histories and political contexts.

Current Democratic Crises

• Nepal: Faces issues of corruption, economic stagnation, and disillusionment among the youth, who feel deprived of their future opportunities.
• France: Known for governance by presidential decree and frequent violent protests, it struggles with an unsustainable economic model.
• United States: The assassination of Charlie Kirk signifies rising political violence, and the nation appears closer to a civil conflict, compounded by economic governance challenges.

Democracy's Cyclical Nature

• History shows that democracy often undergoes cycles of expansion followed by exhaustion, with past global crises observed in the 1920s, 1930s, 1960s, and 1970s.
• The Trilateral Commission's 1975 report highlighted internal issues within democracies, such as adversarial intellectualism and a decline in elite cohesion.
• Current consensus suggests growing inequality as a major threat to democratic stability, complicating the formation of social coalitions for effective economic policies.

Dual Polarisation and Economic Uncertainty

The world faces dual polarisation, characterized by conflicting values and economic visions, with the Left fearing lack of public investment and the Right fearing socialist excess.

• The falling employment elasticity of capital increases uncertainty about job creation, even with well-designed policies.

Youth and Political Participation

• Despite being often labeled as gerontocracies, countries like India and the US struggle with youth discontent, which lacks a unified agenda.
• Political participation has shifted, with social media acting as a new form of engagement that challenges traditional authority.

Corruption and Anti-Corruption Movements

• Corruption appears in both structural and transactional forms and deeply affects democratic politics.
• Anti-corruption movements, while significant, often fail to eradicate corruption and may inadvertently foster authoritarianism.

Impact of War and Disillusionment

• Historical conflicts like the Vietnam and Iraq wars have eroded trust in democratic institutions.
• Current conflicts, such as in Gaza, may similarly deepen cynicism towards democracy.

Adapting and Reinventing Democracy

The paradox of youthful energy leading to disillusionment suggests a need for democracies to find lasting solutions and economic visions not defined solely by scarcity or polarisation. While historical precedents show potential for adaptation and reinvention, there is an urgent need for serious and consensus-driven discussions to address these challenges effectively.