Bridging the gap: democracy between old models and new realities

Strasbourg 5-11 October 2012

Democracy must adapt to the realities of the 21st century which sees the citizens requesting greater participation in public decision-making, an aspiration heightened by the emergence of the new information technologies and the social networks.

At the same time, there are manifold threats to the democracies: extremism of a political, nationalist and religious nature, corruption of elites, terrorism and control of the media prompt political leaders to build regulatory barriers that may encroach on the sphere of individual liberties, which are pillars of democracy. Checks and balances are therefore necessary to guard against authoritarian excesses and preserve democracy.

These were the principal thematic concerns addressed by the participants in the first World Forum for Democracy.