Can democracy vote itself out of existence?
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Can democracy vote itself out of existence?
Manjeet Ramgotra, SOAS, University of London
Look at the state of the world’s democratic nations, and it is easy to see why so many are concerned for the future of democracy.
Leaders such as Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Vladimir Putin and Hungary’s Viktor Orbán have centralised political power by changing their countries’ constitutions, silencing dissent and controlling the media. Since 2016’s coup attempt in Turkey, Erdoğan’s government has used the subsequent state of emergency to incarcerate thousands without trial. Opposition politicians, judges, journalists and academics have been thrown in jail – all following a successful referendum that saw the office of president shed many of the restraints of parliament. The recent presidential elections then returned Erdoğan to office, albeit with the slimmest of majorities.
Given this climate of fear and censorship, the people cannot be said to have voted freely. But the fact that they did vote raise...
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