Democratic erosion is a global issue, warns the political scientist. Van Lit: “We see a wide variety of 'autocratic actions’ that can undermine democracy. Sometimes they are clearly undemocratic, but more often they are covert or justifications are given why they are necessary. For example, for national security, economic gain, or “because it is the will of the people”. If a politician takes one such step, that’s not necessarily a cause for concern. But if you see several such steps – restricting the right to demonstrate, questioning judges and journalists, circumventing parliament – then you need to be alert.”
A block of advice
Van Lit bases his research on dozens of interviews with civil servants, international case studies and experimental survey research in various countries. His research focuses on how “political elites” (such as politicians, but also civil servants, journalists and judges) and citizens can work together to defend democracy. “Both groups must recognise when democratic values are under pressure, and both groups must dare to take action at such moments,’ explains van Lit. “Institutions only work when people dare to stand up. A Trump or an Orbán will simply ride roughshod over them if no one stops him.”
For civil servants, lawyers and others in the first group, the key therefore lies in cooperation and providing professional advice. “If, as a civil servant, you see that a policy is unlikely to hold up, say so, based on your own knowledge and expertise,” says van Lit. “Make sure that colleagues join in, so that it’s clear you believe in this is a group. And make it clear that it is not a person, but a specific policy that is undemocratic. As soon as you focus on an individual, you give that person a reason to target you.”
Asylum crisis
A situation similar to this occurred during the Dutch asylum crisis recently. Van Lit: “Civil servants indicated at the time that Minister Faber's proposed policy was unlikely to stand up in court. That was a successful defence of democracy – not because the policy was blocked, but because civil servants took their role as advisers seriously.”
Citizens also play an important role. “They can vote for pro-democratic parties, protest, or become active in politics,” says van Lit. “Democracy belongs to the citizens. And so those citizens must also contribute to the defence of democracy. But citizens will only do so if they believe the warnings of those ‘political elites’.” Van Lit’s research shows that citizens and politicians must therefore work together to keep democracy resilient.
Weak spots in Dutch democracy
According to van Lit, Dutch democracy also has a number of weaknesses. “These are weaknesses similar to those in countries such as Hungary and Poland, where democracy has already deteriorated further. We see seemingly subtle restrictions on the right to demonstrate, for example, and we see academics and journalists being dismissed as scum.”
We need to be aware of such warning signs, because now there is still something we can do about them. Van Lit: “We need to repair the roof while the sun is still shining. The clouds are coming, but we still have time. That requires courage, cooperation and alertness – from all of us.”