Three recently published reports show to what extent democracy is losing ground in a global context increasingly characterized by authoritarianism and populism. The argument this articles proposes is that the deplorable state of democracies around the world is due to the neglect of substantial characteristics and sources of democracy, which are above all trust and solidarity. Democracy has three different, but interrelated sources that are built upon each other according to a lexical order. A democracy is first based upon political rights, there is in an inherent liberal component to democracy. Second, a democracy requires trust among citizens and individuals that only some form of common identity is going to produce. Third, democracy is based upon strong forms of equality that are brought about by solidarity. The article comes to following conclusions: First, as the experience of Islamophobia and racism in Europe and authoritarianism in the Arab world shows, the concepts of illiberal democracy or majoritarianism currently promoted by strongmen around the globe do not stand for proper democratic political systems. Second, in our plural societies, neither thick nationalism nor strong multiculturalism does support the development of the democratic spirit. Third, Republicanism in Rousseau’s tradition is right that inequalities are the main cause undermining full democracies. A democracy requires the solidarity of the welfare state.

中文翻译：

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民主的源泉：权利、信任和团结

最近发表的三份报告显示，在日益以威权主义和民粹主义为特征的全球背景下，民主在多大程度上失势。这篇文章提出的论点是，世界各地民主国家的可悲状况是由于忽视了民主的实质特征和来源，而这些特征和来源首先是信任和团结。民主具有三个不同但相互关联的来源，它们根据词汇顺序相互建立。民主首先基于政治权利，民主具有内在的自由成分。其次，民主需要公民和个人之间的信任，只有某种形式的共同身份才能产生。第三，民主建立在团结带来的强有力的平等形式之上。文章得出以下结论：第一，正如欧洲的仇视伊斯兰和种族主义以及阿拉伯世界的威权主义的经验所表明的那样，目前全球强人所提倡的非自由民主或多数主义概念并不代表适当的民主政治制度。其次，在我们多元化的社会中，无论是浓厚的民族主义还是强烈的多元文化主义都不支持民主精神的发展。第三，卢梭传统中的共和主义是正确的，即不平等是破坏完全民主的主要原因。民主需要福利国家的团结。目前全球强人所提倡的非自由民主或多数主义的概念并不代表适当的民主政治制度。其次，在我们多元化的社会中，无论是浓厚的民族主义还是强烈的多元文化主义都不支持民主精神的发展。第三，卢梭传统中的共和主义是正确的，即不平等是破坏充分民主的主要原因。民主需要福利国家的团结。目前全球强人所提倡的非自由民主或多数主义的概念并不代表适当的民主政治制度。其次，在我们多元化的社会中，无论是浓厚的民族主义还是强烈的多元文化主义，都不支持民主精神的发展。第三，卢梭传统中的共和主义是正确的，即不平等是破坏充分民主的主要原因。民主需要福利国家的团结。