Athens Democracy Forum returns reinvigorated

With emerging democracies backsliding into authoritarianism and those once considered established falling prey to populism, the need to assess the evolving state of democracy has never felt more urgent.
The Athens Democracy Forum, which started on Wednesday and ends Friday, promises to do exactly that. By bringing together senior New York Times journalists, international business executives, policy-makers and academics, the conference will explore democracy in its birthplace, but while focusing on contemporary challenges and the governance models of the future.
After four successful sessions, this year the Forum returns truly reinvigorated. It is now organized by the newly founded Democracy & Culture Foundation, an independent nonprofit which expands the conference's scope while allowing it to retain a close association with The New York Times. The paper will continue to...