15/09/2026 Political Affairs and Democracy
On the occasion of the International Day of Democracy (15 September), PACE General Rapporteur on Democracy George Papandreou (Greece, SOC), made the following statement:
On the International Day of Democracy, we must reaffirm a fundamental truth: democracy is more than a system of government. It is a project for peace, a daily practice of civic participation, and a means of confronting and resolving differences through dialogue rather than violence. Above all, it gives effect to the right of every citizen to have a say in the decisions that shape their life.
Today, wealth, technology, data and information are increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few and placed beyond democratic scrutiny, while inequality continues to deepen. The answer cannot be less democracy. It must be more democracy - and more meaningful democracy.
This means strengthening democratic processes and institutions, upholding the rule of law, protecting human rights and civil liberties, safeguarding independent public-interest journalism, and ensuring genuine deliberation and participation, not only at election time, but throughout public life.
It means investing seriously in civic education from the earliest years, so that democratic culture and critical thinking become fundamental to the mission of European schools.
It also means building real spaces for participatory democracy - citizens’ assemblies, deliberative panels and digital platforms - that give people a genuine voice between elections, and not only at the ballot box.
We must bring citizens, young and old, back to the centre of democracy: not as spectators, but as active participants and co-creators of our common future.
Democracy and multilateralism must evolve together. The immense powers and capabilities humanity has developed must be directed towards the common good. Innovation must be guided by human values. And our growing interdependence must be governed by principles that build trust: justice, freedom, mutual respect, sustainable development and peace.
The defining challenge of our time is to free our democracies from capture by oligarchies and the powerful few. Our struggle is for democracies that genuinely express our collective will - for societies in which we, the people, have the power to imagine, shape and ultimately determine a better, sustainable and peaceful future for all humanity.