World News | Democracy weakened; number of democracies dwindles: Swiss president

DAVOS, Jan. 17 (PTI) – The number of democracies around the world has been greatly reduced and the world is at a tipping point where democratic institutions are weakened, Swiss President Alain Berce said on Tuesday.

“In some places, the rule of law is threatened – even in some democracies. The rule of law is also at risk of being eroded in the international system,” Berset said in a special address at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2023 here .

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He said the post-war order was currently undergoing its greatest crisis and that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a barbaric attack on a peaceful country.

“But it is also a brutal attack on international law and multilateralism. The war is causing great suffering. It is decisive for the development of democracy around the world,” he said.

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He praised the solidarity shown by democracies towards Ukraine and condemned the aggression by all nations from a member of the UN Security Council who, under the UN Charter: “has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security”.

Berser said Switzerland would do everything in its power to strengthen international law and multilateralism again in the UN Security Council.

He also said inequality continued to grow globally and that inequality had enormous political and social collateral damage.

“What we call populism is essentially a reaction to growing inequality. We all know it: extreme inequality undermines social cohesion. It breeds resentment, it leads us to look for scapegoats. It’s politically toxic and it erodes Our belief in democracy,” he added.

“The number of democracies around the world has decreased dramatically. According to Freedom House, about 50 percent of the world’s population lived in democracies a decade ago — today, that number is only 20 percent.

“Business as usual is no longer an option: we must take steps to firmly defend the foundations that are a prerequisite for civilized coexistence,” the president said.

“Self-interest and supporting those who are lesser than us — we’ve long thought these were two different things. Now we know: They’re the same thing,” Berset said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)