Opinion | Democracy’s supporters would do well to accept it for what it is

The assassination attempt on former US president Donald Trump on July 13 will go down in history as a turning point in the coming US presidential election. Many people now expect him to have a smooth ride to victory in November.

Still, Trump’s defiant image does not change the essence of this election, which cynics might denigrate as a choice between a senile US President Joe Biden and a liar ex-president in Trump. It speaks volumes of the degeneration of American democracy threatened by populism and hate.

But it is not just the United States that is a source of worry over the state of democracy. According to the 2023 Democracy Index published by the Economist Intelligence Unit in February, fewer than 8 per cent of the world’s population lives in 24 full democracies. The number of “flawed democracies” increased to 50 in 2023 from 48 the previous year. Of the remaining countries and regions, 34 were classified as hybrid regimes blending democracy and authoritarianism while 59 were authoritarian regimes.

Some elections are foregone conclusions and do not alter the political status quo, such as those in Russia, Indonesia and India. A small surprise is that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party failed to secure a parliamentary majority on its own, contrary to predictions of a landslide win, and has to govern as a coalition.

The rise of the far-right has been a consistent theme in Europe, as was reflected in the European Parliament elections in June. French President Emmanuel Macron responded to the results with alarm and gambled by hastily dissolving the National Assembly, but he received a rude awakening in response.

The first round of voting at the end of June saw the far-right National Rally come out on top. It took a display of tactical voting and a broad coalition of centrist and left-leaning parties in the second round to prevent the far-right from gaining a majority and forming a government. French politics remains fractured, suggesting a prolonged period of weak government.