Global Scans · Democracy · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Society is expressing its discontent with current democratic processes that leave the elites struggling to convince their voters of their good intentions and competencies. Read on to see how democracy is offering both great opportunities and risks while this period of volatility shakes out.

• [New] The United States has morphed from a benevolent hegemon into an unpredictable ally and even an adversary of liberal democratic values and human rights. Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP)
• [New] The key mid-2020s shift is from election disinformation to wartime information threats: fabricated missile attacks, repurposed pre-war AI art, and downed aircraft amplify panic and misrepresent events. Valdai Club
• [New] As a candidate country, we expect Turkey to meet the highest standards of democracy, rule of law and human rights. Euronews
• [New] Right-wing extremists remain the greatest threat to German democracy and their number increased significantly to 58,700 last year. BBC News
• [New] Although Australia's preferential voting system limits the immediate threat to Labour, the rise of populism emphasises the need for mainstream leaders and institutions to defend multiculturalism, openness and democratic norms against increasingly influential nationalist rhetoric. East Asia Forum
• [New] The next presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for 2028, although Turkey can hold an early election if parliament approves one or Erdogan calls a new vote. Turkish Minute
• [New] About 4 million Americans will turn 18 in 2026, but if past trends continue, under a third of them will be registered to vote in the November elections. The Guardian
• [New] U.S. policymakers should build on what has worked: accountable, country-led partnerships that save lives, strengthen local systems, expand economic opportunity, and advance democratic values. George W. Bush Presidential Center
• [New] Democracies around the world could offer a modest amount of money to a common Global Democracy Fund that would be managed by a range of different democratic stakeholders to distribute for high-priority democratic crises or opportunities. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
• [New] The shift in U.S. policy certainly prompted the South African government to place more stress on a narrative of defending democratic norms that were now more obviously under threat - especially as Trump adopted an increasingly hostile posture toward South Africa. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
• [New] The EU is currently planning its new external funding that will begin in 2027; the current proposal is for a significant increase in external aid but for the budget dedicated specially to democracy and human rights to be discontinued. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
• [New] Several European donors have stepped in to offer additional funding to some of the many local democracy organizations around the world put at risk by the sudden cuts in U.S. aid. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
• [New] Turkey's democratic crisis Turkey's democratic process crisis did not begin with the CHP and will not end with it. The Loop
• [New] The Israel's Vibrant Democracy Forum warns of a widening gap between Israel's formal democratic structures and how accountable they are in practice, pointing to an empowered deep state and expanding judicial reach. Israel & Jewish News - JNS
• [New] Under Erdogan, Turkey is unlikely to revive the democratic reform agenda that might appeal to the European Union. Brookings
• Direct threats to domestic communities and election integrity do not originate solely from Russia; they are increasingly driven by Western political and corporate actors. EU DisinfoLab
• The skeptical commentary identifies the risk Seoul would have to manage: a U.S.-DPRK process that prizes leader-level optics, election-year achievement, or partial threat reduction to the United States over South Korea's interest in denuclearization, extended deterrence, and alliance-based security. Fault Lines
• 64% of Americans agree with the view that American democracy is in danger of failing. Ipsos
• U.S. democracy is in danger of failing. Ipsos
• The world's two most ambitious authoritarian powers continue to pose a genuine and dynamic threat to the United States and its democratic allies, which must adapt and innovate if they are to successfully defend their interests. CEPA
• A Reform UK general election victory could lead to an irreversible change in UK politics. The Guardian

Last updated: 05 July 2026