Satisfaction with democracy below 50% in eight out of nine western countries, poll finds

2 hours ago7 min read1 comments

A sweeping Ipsos survey of nearly 10,000 citizens across nine Western nations reveals a democratic landscape in profound distress, with public satisfaction dipping below the 50% threshold in all but one country, Sweden. This is not merely a snapshot of discontent but a chilling indicator of a systemic crisis, echoing historical precedents where faith in democratic institutions began to erode before more tangible political consequences unfolded.The data, drawn from Croatia, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and the US, points to a consensus on the primary threats: the insidious spread of fabricated information, a glaring lack of political accountability, the rising tide of extremism, and the persistent specter of corruption. These are not isolated grievances but interconnected symptoms of a body politic under severe strain.When citizens perceive that their votes do not translate into meaningful consequences for their leaders, when the information ecosystem is poisoned by disinformation, and when extremist voices are amplified, the very social contract that underpins representative democracy begins to fray. One can draw a sobering parallel to the interwar period, where economic anxiety and a loss of faith in established political classes created fertile ground for authoritarian alternatives.Today’s challenges, however, are amplified by the unprecedented speed and scale of digital communication, which allows fake news to circumnavigate the globe before the truth has even laced its boots. The fact that majorities in eight of the nine nations fear for the future of their democratic systems is perhaps the most alarming finding; it suggests a pre-emptive mourning for a form of governance once thought to be the inevitable endpoint of political evolution.This is not a problem that can be solved with a single election or a new piece of legislation. It demands a comprehensive, multi-front effort to rebuild trust, which includes fostering media literacy, strengthening institutional checks and balances, and ensuring that political actors face real consequences for corruption and malfeasance.The outlier, Sweden, offers a glimmer of hope and a case study, but its relative stability should not breed complacency elsewhere. The poll serves as a stark warning, a Churchillian ‘black dog’ on the horizon, reminding us that democracy is not a self-sustaining machine but a fragile construct that requires constant vigilance, participation, and renewal from its citizens to survive the relentless assaults of its modern adversaries.

#featured

#democracy satisfaction

#western countries

#Ipsos poll

#fake news

#political accountability

#extremism

#corruption

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