Democracy at every level

November 2024 marks Trump’s return to power. A reflection of the ‘Trumpification’ of the world. Every territory is affected; it’s a global epidemic, accompanied by an equally widespread collision between politics and the media. The rule of law that underpins our modern democracies is based on a separation of powers and can’t function without independent media and justice system. The fact that the multi-billionaire owner of one of the most widely used social networks is the Minister in charge of reducing public spending is staggering…

What are we left with?

We still have the European Union

Given it is a complex, highly complex construction, political balances are not established in advance, and national populist interests can’t always be aligned. We are fortunate to have a diverse European Parliament, with intertwined national histories, a common culture, solid institutions defending a Treaty and a Charter of Fundamental Rights, capable of proposing responses to public health emergencies as well as to long-term challenges.

The European Union has made the rule of law a prerequisite to access European funds, asking Hungary, for example, to review some of its most repressive laws. However, it hasn’t been very successful so far…

But if we look further afield, how can we guarantee the rule of law if municipalities do not have the necessary resources to carry out their duties? The rule of law is not just about the separation of powers, it also means enabling each government level to act.  Together with the associations of local authorities, we want to include this dimension in the forthcoming debates: democracy cannot be strengthened at national level alone; it must be based on a balance between the responsibilities and resources of all levels of government, otherwise there is a risk of causing a sense of impotence and therefore boosting populism.

Restoring democracy at this particular moment in time

We must also invest in the democracy that affects us daily, the one that gives us a sense of responsibility. Many Energy Cities‘ member cities have organised a citizens’ assembly, and all of them have welcomed the proposals put forward. The process requires a high level of investment not only by the community and the participants, but also everyone involved, including the administration, as they also benefit from it. Examples at regional, national or European level demonstrate the same thing: taking the time to engage in a pluralist and informed debate generates ambition and mutual understanding. Often the proposals are more ambitious than conventional political compromises, but are rarely ‘disruptive’, they are rather pragmatic and reasonable on the whole, and yet they go much further than current actions. Looking at a few examples (we’re preparing a short publication on the subject for Christmas), what strikes me most is the reaction of citizens when the issues are really presented in all their complexity, but also in all their seriousness. We all have our hunches; we all sense the major changes taking place in our social and natural environment and taking the time during the citizens’ assemblies to fully understand the mechanisms at work and the links between the many issues at stake acts as an eye-opener.

Above all, it shows that solutions do exist, that they go beyond buildings and mobility. And that they will require a great deal of transformation, and in order to do that it’s important to establish budgets, allocate time and spaces and develop training.

One of the most recent examples is the one carried out by the City of Lyon… for its public administration.  The 3CA (Convention Citoyenne pour le Climat des Agents-3CA); I could summarise here the main recommendations made by a panel drawn at random from all the city’s civil servants. But that would be too simplistic, as the process is just as important as the final product. The City of Lyon has taken the time to document each stage, and the Convention was very thorough in the precise definition of each proposal, the conditions for its realisation, the possible timetable to achieve a real transformation.
Check the results and get inspired…

This exercise can be replicated in all our workplaces, and it can raise questions about the missions of any structure.

No, democracy is not dead.