The next Discussion Group meeting will be on Friday 30th October between 4 pm and 6 pm in the Social Centre, Constitution Plaza, Javea
This year, 2026, has already seen general elections in some 35 countries around the world, and there are still 13 elections to take place before the year ends. In Europe, 8 countries have held general elections, with 5 more to go, including Spain on 29th November. Democracies still hold elections, maintain constitutions and have parliaments. But do these institutions still carry real power, or have they become a façade behind which decisions are increasingly shaped by political, economic and institutional elites beyond voters’ control?
We will talk about:
Real choice and public influence: Do elections offer meaningful alternatives, and can citizens genuinely shape government policy?
Who really holds the power? The influence of money, media, unelected institutions and courts. Examples include Romania’s annulled Presidential election, EU pressure on Hungary and the Vilnius disinformation conference. It is worth considering the coming mid-term election in the USA.
Accountability and democratic safeguards: Are free speech, judicial independence and the peaceful transfer of power adequately protected? Are the same democratic standards applied consistently to allies and adversaries?
Can institutions claim to defend democracy if their own decisions are insufficiently accountable to voters? And who decides whether democratic standards are being violated — particularly when that judgement has political consequences?