{"id":586,"date":"2026-04-13T15:10:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T12:10:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/?p=586"},"modified":"2026-05-17T06:29:40","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T03:29:40","slug":"where-democracy-is-under-threat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/where-democracy-is-under-threat\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Democracy Is Under Threat"},"content":{"rendered":"

For many commentators, “anti-system” political views pose a threat to democracy. However, this essentially depends on their content, form, and how they operate within the system. They are neither inherently good nor bad; they can be both.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The positive aspect of these views is renewal and the checking of power. Historically, many progressive changes began as “anti-system,” such as the expansion of individual rights, the fight against corruption, and the questioning of elites and the establishment.<\/p>\n

In this sense, anti-system attitudes are necessary for democracy because they prevent stagnation, strengthen accountability, and give a voice to marginalized social groups. Alexis de Tocqueville\u2019s reflection on the “tyranny of the majority” shows precisely why constant questioning is needed.<\/p>\n

Of course, the negative side of this perspective is the delegitimization of institutions. The problem arises when anti-system views do not criticize specific policies but reject the democratic institutions altogether. This is where phenomena such as conspiracy theories, denial of election results, personality cults, and authoritarianism emerge.<\/p>\n

Steven Levitsky, in his famous book How Democracies Die<\/em> (2025), shows that democracies often do not fall by coups but by leaders who are elected and then undermine the rules themselves. The fundamental distinction is not really “system vs. anti-system” but democratic vs. anti-democratic.<\/p>\n

An anti-system force is compatible with democracy when it accepts elections and the rotation of power. It also respects minority rights and always operates without violating the institutional framework.<\/p>\n

However, it becomes dangerous when it regards the system as an “enemy to be destroyed,” legitimizes violence or authoritarianism, and refuses to acknowledge the legitimacy of opponents.<\/p>\n

In today\u2019s era (marked by crises, inequalities, globalization), anti-system sentiment is increasing because many citizens feel unrepresented, and trust in institutions has diminished. The form that this questioning takes today determines whether it will become a solution or a threat.<\/p>\n

Thus, anti-system views are necessary as a corrective force. Yet, they become dangerous when they turn into a rejection of democracy itself.<\/p>\n

(Andreas Andrianopoulos\u2019s book, War in Iran: Europe\u2019s Tragic Failures<\/em>, Epikentro, 2026) is available in bookstores.<\/strong><\/p>\n

First published on Newideas.gr<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Anti-establishment views can invigorate democracy by challenging stagnation and corruption, yet they become threats when they reject democratic institutions, legitimize violence, or deny electoral legitimacy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":587,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[87],"tags":[476,438,159,96,477],"nfg_topic":[134],"class_list":["post-586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion","tag-alexis-de-tocqueville","tag-andreas-andrianopoulos","tag-european-union","tag-iran","tag-steven-levitsky","nfg_topic-europe"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=586"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/586\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":588,"href":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/586\/revisions\/588"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/587"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=586"},{"taxonomy":"nfg_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/nfg_topic?post=586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}