Notwithstanding all the angst about the future of democracy, Munich Security Index data, based on a 12-country opinion survey, show that people still think democracies are better able than undemocratic countries to solve the problems of the future. Now democratic leaders need to prove it.
MUNICH – There was little cause for geopolitical optimism in 2021, and this grim trend has continued at the start of 2022. Almost every month over the last couple of years, a fresh emergency has dominated the news, contributing to a sense of a mounting tide of crises that threatens to overwhelm us.
The world is struggling to cope simultaneously with the seemingly endless COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of illiberal forces in many countries, the failure of international interventions that were supposed to stabilize conflict-ridden regions, rising great-power tensions, and military buildups in key territories. Beyond these immediate concerns, the impact of climate change, a major long-term threat to humanity, has become all too tangible – and political leaders have yet to mount a sufficiently forceful response. Who could be blamed for feeling overwhelmed?
In the eyes of many citizens, politicians seem far from getting a grip on today’s urgent problems and steering the world away from catastrophe. And the seemingly endless series of crises threatens to erode the public’s confidence that they and their political leaders can shape a better future.
MUNICH – There was little cause for geopolitical optimism in 2021, and this grim trend has continued at the start of 2022. Almost every month over the last couple of years, a fresh emergency has dominated the news, contributing to a sense of a mounting tide of crises that threatens to overwhelm us.
The world is struggling to cope simultaneously with the seemingly endless COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of illiberal forces in many countries, the failure of international interventions that were supposed to stabilize conflict-ridden regions, rising great-power tensions, and military buildups in key territories. Beyond these immediate concerns, the impact of climate change, a major long-term threat to humanity, has become all too tangible – and political leaders have yet to mount a sufficiently forceful response. Who could be blamed for feeling overwhelmed?
In the eyes of many citizens, politicians seem far from getting a grip on today’s urgent problems and steering the world away from catastrophe. And the seemingly endless series of crises threatens to erode the public’s confidence that they and their political leaders can shape a better future.