Civilizational crisis, risk, and democratic decline

Abstract

The text analyzes the current civilizational crisis, characterized by the systemic effect of global risks and the deterioration of democratic institutions. It argues that these two elements are closely related and that their combined impact is generating a crisis of unusual proportions.

It starts from the consideration that global risks, such as the covid-19 pandemic, have been shown to have a systemic effect on society, affecting different sectors, spheres, groups, and social fields. However, the response to these risks has been uneven and has highlighted the weaknesses of democratic institutions and governance systems. At the same time, the deterioration of democratic institutions is a central feature of the critical situation in which most nation-states find themselves today, as the erosion of trust in institutions, political po-larization, and the manipulation of information are contributing to this deterioration. This has led to a crisis of legitimacy, opened the door to the emergence of populist movements, and generated a return to authoritarian regimes.