MATHIEU, B. / / KATROUGALOS, G.
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 such as corruption, weakness of institutions, loss of the sense of the common good, etc. More specific factors are also highlighted, such as the absence of a democratic tradition and distorted relations with European structures, amongst others. After describing their national particularities, the national special reports reveal that the notion of democracy is polysemic. Democracy sometimes refers to the idea of good government or even comes from a very specific concept that is alien to Western Theories, as can be seen in China. 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 and, probably, the reinforcement of liberal logic to the detriment of democratic logic, leads to the development of regimes that become, or claim to be, illiberal without renouncing democratic principles and vice versa. The crisis of liberal democracy is also the result of the crisis that affects the concepts in which democracy has developed (for example, People, State, Nation, Power).
