Democracy in a multipolar political world

The new US administration has given some additional impulses to the already ongoing development in the direction of a multipolar political world based on power. This results in the necessity for Europe to develop an own robust security strategy in order to protect itself and all its member countries, but also as a precondition for any initiatives towards a supranational democratic development.

An important part of this European journey will be to develop a common democratic system able to withstand challenges whatsoever, as well as this can be accomplished.

Under present and to be expected future circumstances, any global democratic perspective can only be multipolar. A well functioning European democracy leaving room for democratic self determination of and within the member states could be a very important, if not crucial, European contribution to a more peaceful and democratic world. A direct path to global democracy, however, doesn't seem viable at the time being, particularly as the United Nations and global institutions as the ICC lose support and importance and partly, as it seems, also their neutrality.
 

Unluckily, several recent experiences in democratic states have clearly shown that democratic structures in themselves are not resilient if contested by people or groups who want to harm them. One recent example is how the division of the executive, legislative, and judicial power in the US is contested by the president and his team who seem to neglect the authority of justice („He who saves his Country does not violate any Law“). Such experiences, I believe, make it necessary also to rethink concepts of world government even if based on democratic elections. 

Taken together, the unfolding multipolar political world and the dangers of misused democratic structures require a thorough rethinking of suitable ways to reach a peaceful and more democratic world. Obviously not knowing the answer, I assume that this will mean to go for an approach of stepwise developing democracy further on a national as on a supranational (Europe) level, not knowing what will be the exact outcome in the end (there will probably not be a defined end, though) but hoping to protect democratic values and to avoid severe mistakes by this approach.

mcw