The Crisis of Liberal Democracy

This book brings together specialists from more than 20 countries and focuses on the institutional, political, economic and social factors which determine the crisis of liberal democracies.

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In light of the looming crisis facing liberal democracy, this collection of 22 special national and regional reports, synthesised by a general report, delves into this crisis. The reports first examine the common characteristics and manifestations of this crisis. The national special reports reveal that the notion of democracy is polysemic and that liberal democracies are, in fact, mixed systems. Democracy is, essentially, a mode of legitimising power, while liberalism is a mode of limiting power (separation of powers, fundamental rights, etc.). The confusion between these two requirements leads to the development of regimes that become, or claim to be, illiberal without renouncing democratic principles, or vice versa. The interplay between economic and social factors must also be highlighted. The weakening of democracy can be linked to the breakdown of the founding social contract of the welfare state and the delegation of important economic decisions to politically irresponsible actors. This book raises an important question: can we believe in a regeneration of liberal democracy?