H E LLO TH E RE
THE GREATEST THREAT TO DEMOCRACY IS RESIGNATION” Profe s sor S of i a N ä s s t röm , De p ar t me nt of G ove r nme nt , au t hor of t he re ce nt l y pub lishe d b ook “ De mok r at i: E n li t e n bok om e n s t or s ak ” [De mocr ac y : A L i t t le B ook abou t a B ig Thing ].
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Why did you write this book? “While I’m sure that most of us know what democracy is, we have somehow lost the thread. A lot has happened in a short period of time: we have seen EU migrants begging on the street, populist parties entering parliament, we have lived through a pandemic that shut down society and, in the United States, we have seen a president make a serious coup attempt against the country’s democracy. So, we ask ourselves: can democracy handle the pressure? My thought was that we could use an easy-to-read book that asks 10 simple questions about democracy.” Who is the book aimed at? “It’s aimed at an interested general public. The book is also aimed at university students and can be used by lecturers in teaching. It will also be published as an audiobook.” So, how is democracy doing in the world today? “It’s in a pretty bad state. That is readily apparent, not least from large studies that demonstrate a decline in the number of countries deemed to be democracies. We also see the dismantling of stable democracies such as Hungary and Poland, where elections are still a fixture – which is to say, people go out and vote – but the government harasses the opposition and undermines the free press and courts.” What are the most serious threats facing democracy? “Many people would say populism or xenophobia but, no. In fact, it’s actually resignation: that as citizens we feel that we lack the ability to bring about change. We speak about threats, but we must always defend democracy. Democracy implies the freedom to start again. That’s what democracy is all about and what we actually do when we go and vote every four years. Another threat, which is not simply about fact resistance, is that we have lost the sense of being in a world we share with others, of the public sphere. We can’t simply think about ourselves – that can make us a bit stupid. Public discourse, public institutions, these are important.” What can we do to protect democracy? “There are three things. We should be careful about the language we use, look people in the eye and try to maintain a decent attitude. Secondly, we can fight for a cause: we can decide that, say, this library should be kept open, this newspaper is important or this law should remain in force. “Thirdly, we must maintain professional standards. Just look at what happened in the United States, where it was election officials and lawyers who stood strong. As researchers, we must safeguard our professional role to ensure that no one can exploit us to their own ends.” / Å S A M A L M B E RG
Book about democracy Demokrati: En liten bok om en stor sak by Sofia Näsström is published by Historiska Media. In 10 brief chapters, the author answers some of the most common and pressing questions asked about democracy in times of crisis.
PHOTO: MIKAEL WALLERSTEDT
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