In Latin America was the first decade of this century, a time of democratic experiments. After most of the countries suffered in the 1980s under debt crises, and Hyperinflation, have managed many of them, Brazil included, in the 1990s, to stabilise their currencies and thus achieve a new level of political stability.
The governments of the Region have carried out after the fashion of the time economic reforms aimed at rapid liberalisation of the economy. The new economic approach was: privatization of public services and enterprises, change in the public sector, according to the pattern of the private sector, austerity in the public finances, Opening of domestic markets to foreign trade.
After the Bursting of the Internet bubble in 2000, most countries in Latin America suffered a recession, increased poverty and unemployment. The countries of the Region were at the beginning of the century, still among the most unjust in the world. Subsequently, many countries have elected social democratic and socialist governments, the fight against poverty, declared to be their highest priority.
about The author
Pablo Holmes is Professor of constitutional theory at the University of Brasilia. The Text is an abridged version of the speech he made on the by the Goethe-Institut, the dramatic society, and the national theatre in Weimar, organized the Symposium “How stable is our liberal basic order? International perspectives on the future of democratic constitutions“ at the weekend in Weimar.
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In Bolivia, Ecuador and Venezuela have adopted new constitutions, the new elements of direct democracy experiment. Other countries also introduced far-reaching constitutional reforms, which should promote the political participation of marginalized populations. For probably the first Time historically excluded indigenous peoples, who were, in some countries even the majority, were treated as political equals.
as of 2012, the consequences of the financial crisis, however, were already clearly noticeable. The economic growth had slowed down significantly, which immediately affected the Development of social policy. Failed economic policies that brought forth the financing to combat the crisis, a high budget deficit, Inflation and higher unemployment. Starting in 2015, many countries were in economic crises, which led to political changes. Venezuela and Nicaragua experienced an authoritarian reversal.
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Brazil and Paraguay have questionable experienced the impeachment of its President, and in Argentina, Ecuador and Peru, new governments were elected. At the same time, political science, observed especially after the financial crisis, new developments in the political system in Europe and in the United States. It was found that the declining trust in democratic institutions (parties, parliaments, and politicians), which was already in the 1970s, known now from a diminishing support for democracy as form of government.
longing for autocracy
Since the 2000s, there was talk for the first Time of a deconsolidation of democracy. It means that an increasing proportion of the population evaluates the democracy more and more than unnecessary and authoritarian forms of government as a credible Alternative view. In the United States, only 30 percent of voters under 30 years, that it is indispensable to live in a democracy, while about 30 percent think that a stronger line figure, do not need to submit to the parliamentary and democratic procedures, would be a good solution. In Europe, the Numbers look slightly better, but they retain the same alarming trend. In addition, everywhere, the rise of illiberal political movements can be observed, the position for the first Time since the inter-war period, explicitly, against some of the Foundation stones of liberal democracy.
In countries such as Poland, Hungary and currently in Italy the right wing to bring forward a conception of political order, which is to serve as an Alternative for the constitutional democracies that have established themselves since the post-war period. Their view is that democracy should not be based on individually-designed, universal, basic right. Political legitimacy should flow instead of only an ethnically conceived nation community, which is defined by a certain majority, which must take no account of sexual, political and ethnic minorities.
The Brazilian President threatens to politically different-minded
now for a month, incumbent Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is the first democratically elected President who praises the military dictatorship that ruled from 1964 to 1985, brutally, explicitly. He has not spoken Recently with Pride the view that the biggest mistake of the dictatorship, was tortured to much, but that not enough people were murdered. During the election campaign, he claimed in a well-known video recording on the Internet that Left, and people should leave activists after his victory in the country or with its execution had to be expected. According to him, religious and sexual minorities with the Christian majority have to yield, which would mean, for example, the duty of the Christian religious under the direction of. As a first measure of his government, he allowed the possession of firearms for every citizen.
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I and many others in Brazil and elsewhere wondering whether the Brazilian liberal Constitution is actually in danger. Of course so far no one can answer this question. It is still too early to know whether the President will implement what he says. In addition, the question of whether he can do anything he wants. His family is embroiled in a new corruption scandal.
Extreme social inequality, democracy
destroyed, It is scary that we can rely on very little. The consent for Bolsonaro seems to be still high. Even if I don’t think that 57 million Brazilians have become at once right-wing extremists, is clear: We are witnessing a crisis of our liberal-authored democracy. This has a number of Lessons to be learned.
firstly, Great social inequalities and social exclusion destroy the Functioning of democracy. You create powerful oligarchic and corrupt elites can exert Power over the Rest of the population. Numerous studies have already proven that high levels of social inequality lead to economic and political instabilities. You ruin the interpersonal and institutional trust, the Foundation stones of a democracy.
Secondly, the government and the Opposition responsibility must proceed deliberately. You may not use is not a hard game to take on the expense of the democratic process, the Power. The power struggle must, therefore, remain not only within certain legal limits. It must also take place within these limits, a reasonable confrontation.
We need to social media regulate
Third: The responsibility for democracy lies not only with the politicians and with the parties. The press, the judicial system, Intellectuals, and civil society must also take responsibility by you need to assess the impact of their actions on the democracy in advance. We must also give our party system eight.
And fourthly, It is imperative that we find good regulatory solutions for the new social media. It can’t be allowed, that the fragmentation is exploited to the Public by unscrupulous political opportunists. We need to prevent millions of voters will be influenced by the pathetic lies systematically.
Latin America deserves much Weimar
The Latin American constitutional history, much due to the Text that was discussed in Weimar, 100 years ago, and written. The founders of the Weimar Republic, have handed down to us, but only a Text. You left us about your experience. Unfortunately, they had no Weimar Constitution, from which they could learn. This excuse we don’t have.