The Democratic Ideal and its Real-Life Challenges Across the West
The unfinished project of Rousseau’s Social Contract, published in 1762, still echoes a fundamental rule of democratic governance: a communal agreement that all members accept shapes the game of politics and decision making. Modern political science notes that Western liberal democracy rests on broad social consensus, where diverse political options compete on equal terms and debate remains perpetual. This ongoing dialogue drives progress through the tension between majorities and minorities.
In Spain, after a prolonged and jolting era, a democratic path began in 1978. It was a period of rapid adjustment that aligned with these principles, allowing the country to close the gap with its western neighbors and place itself on par with them on the larger stage.
A healthy shift emerged gradually, through continuous evolution and relatively small setbacks. The two dominant parties, the PP and PSOE, absorbed constructive ideas both from within their own histories and from those with opposing viewpoints. In matters of ethics and culture, Spain transitioned from a Catholic heritage toward modern norms, a shift that saw the legalization of divorce for non-religious reasons, greater sexual tolerance, and more inclusive attitudes toward minorities, abortion, and euthanasia. The right likewise pushed modernization forward in practical ways. Economically, there were no insoluble conflicts either: both sides recognized the need to modernize state-led structures and cultivate a genuine market economy, aligning with the broader European framework that Spain would join in 1986 after a sequence of structural reforms. From that point, through the 2008 financial crisis and beyond, economic policy maintained a recognizable throughline, even as ideological differences persisted.
Yet that somewhat idealized picture now belongs to history and is often recalled with nostalgia. As Italian observer Sandro Veronesi recently noted about Italian elections, there exists a deep divide that has touched many Western countries. It has blurred shared values and hindered a virtuous cycle of change between governing majorities and the opposition. Elections are increasingly marked by personal rancor, mutual accusations, vetoes, revenge, and a climate of hostility that seldom yields hopeful reflections. For years, people have sought to build a better society, not simply to win for themselves, and to silence opponents. They vote in the hope of better governance for all, but the mood can soften that ambition into confrontation [Citation: Veronesi on Western political dynamics].
In the United States, the rise of a new conservative movement has often been linked to populist currents that culminated in the storming of the Capitol, an episode that critics say endangered centuries of democratic progress, human rights, and the broad advancement of freedoms. Across Europe, the far right frequently targets unity and shared values, sometimes advocating for protectionist measures, tougher borders, and skepticism toward multiculturalism. Critics argue that such forces aim to fragment political and social cohesion, undermine climate action, and roll back protections for women and minorities. Some observers worry that this trend threatens the stability needed for long-term prosperity and cooperation among European Union members and allies such as NATO partners [Citation: contemporary Western political analysis].
These tensions highlight a growing concern: Western democracies face a spectrum of contradictions that invite deeper examination. Extremist groups often portray opponents as illegitimate, shifting the goal from reform and progress to destruction and rebuilding. There are few easy fixes, and optimism about finding a neat solution is rightly tempered by the complexity of the challenges ahead.