August 2025Mirka Karra, Thessaloniki Democracy is often thought of in terms of national elections or EU institutions. Yet, when it comes to civic participation, the biggest gaps are often found at the municipal level. Recent data underscores the issue: in France, more than 60% of voters abstained from participating in the most recent local elections…
August 2025Konstantinos Kougkas, Veria To claim that the last decade has been a challenge for western democracies would be a wildly simplistic understatement. Financial turmoil, migrant crises, the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the ongoing war in Ukraine have all played their part in diminishing trust in democratic institutions across most European nations. Naturally,…
August 2025Konstantinos Kostoulas, Athens The European Union is often described as one of the most ambitious political projects in modern history. Conceived in the ashes of two devastating World Wars, it was designed to secure peace, foster prosperity, and gradually build a common European identity. For decades, the EU seemed to embody precisely what many…
August 2025Fridoon Joinda, Athens Introduction Democracy stands at a critical turning point, challenged globally by declining trust, misinformation, polarization, and social divisions. Rapid technological advancements, particularly artificial intelligence, have created abundant yet unreliable information, leaving citizens overwhelmed, disconnected, and skeptical about the value of their voices. Reviving democratic culture today requires empathy, authentic storytelling, and…
August 2025Myrto Lyka, Volos The question “How and why are democratic nations gradually losing their fundamental values?” is at the heart of public debate regarding the growing inability of democratic societies to provide the prosperity and security they promise to their citizens. Greece, as the birthplace of democracy, can serve as a distinctive example in…
