A farago
The success of the right in the recent European elections suggests a weariness with liberal democracy, but what's the alternative? Not a very palatable one, I suggest, but there can be little doubt that the post-War western model of democracy is a busted flush. Small wonder, then, that illiberal democracy, or outright autocracy and demagoguery, seems to be becoming the norm worldwide. 2024 has been hailed as the year of elections. As Time puts it: "Globally, more voters than ever in history will head to the polls as at least 64 countries (plus the European Union) - representing a combined population of about 49% of the people in the world - are meant to hold national elections, the results of which, for many, will prove consequential for years to come." The notion of illiberal democracy, as advocated by the rightwing prime minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, is gaining ground, but whether it can even be described as a type of democracy is open to question. It may preserve