Right from the start, Professor Lammert was impressed by the great response – especially since the phrase “democracy needs democrats” sounds banal at first glance. He proved that this is not the case by looking at political participation in Germany: on average, only about two-thirds of eligible voters take part in elections, while one-third do not exercise this “royal right of democracy.” All parties combined had just over one million members, meaning that less than three percent of eligible voters decided who would run for political office and which programs would even be available to choose from.
Starting with “35 years of German unity” and “75 years of the Basic Law,” Lammert recalled the spirit of optimism after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. At that time, many believed that the question of what political system was successful eventually had been decided in favor of democracy, and debates about the “end of history” were rife. Today, the balance sheet is sobering: the number of fully functioning democracies has fallen significantly since the mid-1990s, and less than ten percent of the world's population lives in countries that meet a strict definition of democracy. According to Prof. Lammert's definition, a democracy only deserves this name if there are regular free elections, genuine alternatives in terms of personnel and programs, fair competition, an effective separation of powers with limited and temporary mandates, an independent judiciary, and enforceable fundamental rights such as freedom of speech, press, religion, science, and art.
What really causes democracies to fail
Looking back at the Weimar Republic, Lammert made it clear that democracies rarely fail because of their constitutional texts. Weimar collapsed less because of legal design flaws than because of severe crises, the weakness of democratic forces, and the lack of cohesion among democrats; some historians speak of a “democracy without democrats.” Even today, democratic systems usually do not collapse as a result of military coups or civil wars, but rather as a result of election results, after which non-democratic actors gradually restrict the independence of the courts, the freedom of the media, or academia—often without visibly changing the constitution.
Finally, Lammert drew a parallel with the present day. He quoted historian Timothy Snyder, who described Germany as currently the most important functioning democracy, and recalled Barack Obama's statement that democracy is particularly at risk when people take it for granted. Historically, Germany is one of the “lucky few” who live in a democratic system based on the rule of law – but this will only remain the case if enough citizens take responsibility, vote, get involved in parties, associations, and initiatives, and defend democratic values in their everyday lives. This is precisely what the series “Democracy thrives on participation!” aims to encourage, addressing different facets of democracy and encouraging active participation.
After the lecture, visitors had the opportunity to ask Prof. Lammert questions, moderated by the democracy prize associations's chairperson, Prof. Dorothee Dzwonnek. A lively dialogue with the audience ensued.
Further information:
https://www.demokratiepreis-bonn.de
