Democracy Under Fire

Robert Misik in conversation with Philipp Lepenies

Democracy Under Fire
The rise and fall of democracy

A few years ago, we thought that everything was heading towards a gradual spread of democracies, but today we can't help but agree with Philipp Lepenies: „Democracy is under attack, both from outside and from within.“ There is a loss of trust in democracy, but also a contempt for democracy and the state that is bringing democracies to the brink of collapse. However, the rhetoric of anti-democratism is not new: that parliamentarianism does not work, that elites make decisions over the heads of the people, etc.

In his new book, the economist and political scientist takes a deep dive and asks: How did the system change to parliamentary democracy succeed in England, the USA and France? What were the reasons given by their supporters? Why did this change take place relatively late in our part of the world?

To answer these questions, Philipp Lepenies looks at milestones in the history of democracy. From the knowledge of the development of democracy, insights can be gained that help to resist its imminent demise - at a time when the sovereign is increasingly deciding against the system that grants him the highest political power.

Philipp Lepenies, Economist and Professor of Political Science at Freie Universität Berlin; Head of the Research Centre for Sustainability at the Otto Suhr Institute since 2022

Moderation Robert Misik, Author and journalist

Philipp Lepenies:
Sovereign decisions. On the rise and fall of democracy.
Suhrkamp Publishing House, 2025 ISBN 978-3-518-12844-2, € 20,-

In co-operation with Literature ship - initiative