“Amidst economic uncertainty and rising inequality, democracy has come under sustained assault from without and – more damagingly – from within,” said Ireland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney when addressing the World Forum for Democracy.

Minister Coveney highlighted three factors which are crucial to secure freedoms that we might take for granted and to protect democracy on our continent: How we protect the integrity of our public institutions; How we promote the prosperity of our citizens; How we understand the demos in democracy, the people in democracy.

Quotes from the speech:

“Democracy demands more than majority rule. Free elections are its foundation, but democracy also requires impartial rule of law and respect for human rights, of minorities as well as majorities. Securing democracy then demands that we safeguard freedom of expression, association and assembly. It means promoting independent, impartial and efficient judiciaries. It means guaranteeing the integrity of our electoral systems.”

“Democracy is our world’s most precious metal, but if it is not looked after, it tarnishes easily. Without a free press, without a civil society, without independent courts, it corrodes over time and eventually it collapses. We must recommit to the principles the Council of Europe embodies and re-invent in its core institutions – above all the European Court of Human Rights.”

“Democracy delivers dignity. Through their vote and their voice, any citizen can effect change. In the long run, democracy’s unique feedback mechanisms mean it is always better placed to deliver stability and prosperity for citizens. It is far from perfect, but it’s the best way we have to protect everybody’s interests.”

“We need to convince citizens, young people in particular, of our capacity to deliver over short-term horizons. Key to that is improving the quality of governance. One step is to listen more directly to our citizens, above all young people. Ireland’s experience with citizens’ assemblies over the past decade has been a hugely positive one. It has proved a way to deepen democratic engagement.”

“In Strasbourg, human rights and the rule of law are concrete terms that people understand but for most of the Council of Europe’s 675 million citizens, they are somewhat abstract terms. To convince a new generation of their value, we must communicate differently.”

Finally, Minister Coveney also referred to the holding of a 4th Summit of Council of Europe Heads of State and Government on 16 and 17 May 2023 in Reykjavik (Iceland).

Full speech