Types of democracy

Bulgaria stands out as one of the five countries among a group of 29 nations that have made strides in enhancing their judicial systems, according to the latest annual report released by "Freedom House," an American foundation dedicated to assessing democracy and human rights worldwide.

"Democracy is always unfinished business. It is not a recipe for Paradise on Earth," John Keane, the renowned professor of political science at the University of Sydney, tells Kathimerini.

Fair, transparent, and regular elections are the most fundamental components of modern democracies. In democratic systems, it is fundamental that the authority and power of those in power be derived from the electorate or the governed. These powers are renewed through regular elections.

Earlier this year Kathimerini organized a three-day conference looking back at the 50 years since the restoration of democracy in Greece in 1974, or the Metapolitefsi.

A recent global survey conducted by the "Gallup International" association sheds light on dwindling confidence in democratic governance across various nations, including Bulgaria. The findings reveal a stark reality where only 13% of Bulgarians perceive their country's governance as aligned with the will of the people, while 61% disagree and 22% remain undecided.

“Greece once again a ‘Full Democracy’, first time since 2010 – ‘The birthplace of democracy has reason to celebrate’, states the report” – See the list and the rating

Citizens are democracy's first and last line of defense. Institutions are shaped to anticipate problems and prevent deadlock, to regulate the state's functions, to protect the weak and check the powerful. In the end, though, it is citizens who determine the country's course, based on their interests - or, rather, on what they perceive their interests to be at that time.

One of the significant deficiencies in the 50-year-old democracy established after the military dictatorship in Greece, in comparison to our European counterparts, is its failure to secure equal participation of women in political and economic spheres.

It's one of those times when the final result exceeds expectations. The three-day conference that Kathimerini organized last week, along with the National Bank Cultural Foundation, Delphi Economic Forum, and the Hellenic Observatory at the LSE's European Institute, on 50 years since the restoration of democracy in Greece, to a large degree ended up being what we all hoped for.

The discussions held last week at the conference commemorating the 50th anniversary of the restoration of Greek democracy organized, among others, by Kathimerini, showed that the country's political system can also articulate a reflective discourse that goes beyond the narrow limits of party confrontations.