Democratic security is an old idea, based on the argument that democrcies rarely, if ever, go to war with each other. Democratic practices equally protect states from internal strife. Democratic security is a responsibility which al nations share.

 

Peaceful, prosperous, democratic and respectful of people's rights, How can the Council of Europe remain and thrive as the continent’s main reference point in terms of human rights, democracy and the rule of law? Is there a way for Strasbourg to more successfully accomplish the major task of protecting the human rights of European citizens? How can the Council of Europe, in an ever more multipolar European order, become an indispensable tool for the realisation of the pan-European idea and a unified Europe from Reykjavik to Moscow? In what ways does the Organisation have to change in order to account for the dynamics that have taken place in our societies in the last two decades? What new tasks does it have to strategically take on and should it modernise itself as an international body? Finally, what can it do to become a "club of democracies" again?

This publication is based on a collaborative project that the Directorate of Policy Planning of the Council of Europe conducted with 14 renowned analysts from major European think tanks over almost two years. In three advisory reports, designed to provide a solid basis for the Council of Europe’s decision makers and future strategy, the analysts tried to find answers to the questions above and addressed many other highly significant issues about the Organisation’s continued relevance, credibility and visibility. In a time of profound human rights fatigue in and beyond Europe, and with a new value divide emerging between different parts of the continent, the Council of Europe and the think tank community thought it was high time to bring the Council of Europe back into the limelight of European politics."

Peaceful, prosperous, democratic and respectful of people's rights, building Europe is an ongoing challenge. For many years it seemed that Europeans lived on a continent of shared values and a common destiny. No one paid attention to the alarm bells warning of growing divisions across the continent, which have become more insistent since the economic and social crisis. Europe and its values, previously taken for granted, are now being contested. These clouds are casting a shadow across Europe's future, and old demons, long dominant, have started to raise their voices again.

Europe has been going through its most serious crisis of values since the fall of communism. In public discourse, economic and social pressures have overshadowed the other dimensions of the crisis, including societal values. However, the crisis of values would appear to be more than simply an effect of the recession.

Europeans have lost trust in democratic institutions at all levels: European, national and local. Rising Xenophobia and discrimination against minorities undermine the vitality of the European model of tolerance. Europe is plagued by endemic corruption which costs it more than €100 billion annually, triggering political instability.

Some believe that once Europe is back on the path of growth the crisis of values will disappear, and that there will be a resurgence of faith in European integration.

But in the long term, growth in Western societies may be impaired by serious "headwinds" resulting from demographic trends and rising inequalities, and Europe may become the first post-growth society. European societies are already changing their traditional characteristics as a result of exposure to the effects of two global mega-trends: the empowerment of the individual and cosmopolitisation.

Can the European project be of relevance when addressing these challenges? What role in this process can be played by the Council of Europe, which is the embodiment of the idea that Europe is bigger than the European Union and the European agenda is richer than the economy and politics?

Democracy is well-established and soundly practiced in most European countries. But despite unprecedented progress, there is growing dissatisfaction with the state of democracy and deepening mistrust of democratic institutions; a situation exacerbated by the economic crisis. Are Europe’s democracies really under threat? Has the traditional model of European democracy exhausted its potential? A broad consensus is forming as to the urgent need to examine the origins of the crisis and to explore visions and strategies which could contribute to rebuilding confidence in democracy.

As Europe’s guardian of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, the Council of Europe is committed to exploring the state and practice of European democracy, as well as identifying new challenges and anticipating future trends. In order to facilitate this reflection, the Council of Europe held a series of Democracy Debates with the participation of renowned specialists working in a variety of backgrounds and disciplines.

This publication presents the eight Democracy Debate lectures. Each presentation analyses a specific aspect of democracy today, placing the issues not only in their political context but also addressing the historical, technological and communication dimensions. The authors make proposals on ways to improve democratic governance and offer their predictions on how democracy in Europe may evolve. Together, the presentations contribute to improving our understanding of democracy today and to recognising the ways it could be protected and strengthened.