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Horst Möller
Dangers to Democracy: Current Problems in Historical Perspective
Keywords: Reformstau in Europa, Gefährdete Stabilität der Demokratie, Krise, Zwischenkriegszeit
The starting point of this essay is the observation that a large backlog of reforms has arisen in some European democracies and that there is often a lack of political will to deal definitively with these long outstanding issues. Horst Möller therefore points out that democracy, the rule of law and parliamentary constitutions are not to be taken for granted, but instead have to be legitimised and reformed time and time again if they are to escape collapse; as an example of what can go wrong, the author uses the Interwar Period, during which almost all European democracies succumbed to inherent threats and mistaken developments. Thus the essay is not connected with the tradition of cultural pessimism – it sees itself rather as a premonitory plea to rapidly and sweepingly engage in the necessary reforms to avert the threatening but often ignored dangers for democracy.
Vierteljahrshefte für Zeitgeschichte, Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag
Print ISSN: 0042-5702
Volume: 55, 03/2007
Pages: 379 - 391