France is not alone in its political crisis belief in a democratic world is vanishing | Simon Tisdall

"Emmanuel Macron sounded like a man in grief. Not angry, not defiant, just a little triste. Europe, he lamented, was suffering a degeneration of democracy. Many threats emanated from outside, from Russia, from China, from powerful US tech companies and social-media entrepreneurs, France's president said. But we should not be naive. On the inside we are turning on ourselves. We doubt our own democracy We see everywhere that something is happening to our democratic fabric."

"Democratic debate is turning into a debate of hatred. Squeezed between vituperative extremes of right and left, Macron knows of what he speaks. But ungovernable France is not alone in its bitter, intractable divisions. Across Europe, in the UK and the US, distrust and grievance daily deepen political dysfunction and social discord. Macron's words apply, in fact, to almost any country espousing democratic principles."

"In elections last weekend, the Czech Republic followed Poland, Austria and other EU states in lurching towards the populist hard right, swept along on a rising tide of anti-establishment negativity. Support for opportunistic bigots who feed on fear, resentment and loss while lacking credible policies on complex issues such as migration is not an endorsement of democracy but its despoliation. This ugly rush to extremes is a vote of no confidence in the democratic system itself."

European democracies are experiencing a degeneration marked by external pressures from Russia, China and powerful tech firms and by deep internal polarization. Democratic debate increasingly hardens into hatred, with vituperative extremes on both right and left eroding civic trust and national consensus. Populist hard-right gains across several EU states reflect anti-establishment anger and a turn away from democratic norms. Opportunistic figures who exploit fear and resentment, while lacking credible policy solutions, contribute to the despoliation of democratic institutions. Declining participation, especially among disadvantaged groups and younger people, compounds the crisis and weakens collective governance.

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