The world is in the midst of one of the most serious political crises since the end of the Second World War.

The bond of trust that existed for 80 years between the United States and the other western countries has been broken. In this new political era, a great deal of co-operation will be required to preserve the principles of international law and the protection of human rights and democratic values.

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The arrival of Donald Trump and his acolytes in power must now serve as a rallying call for the most enlightened minds to join forces to resist a new international system without rules, where the balance of power alone will dictate the course of history and where democratic principles are flouted.

As a specialist in Québec and Canadian politics, and more specifically in federal studies and party systems, I believe that we are facing an unprecedented situation. How did we get here? How should we react?

At a time when the balance of power is in turmoil, the relative silence of the American Democratic party is particularly striking, although New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker recently challenged this inertia with his record-breaking 25-hour speech.

Former Democratic presidents Joe Biden and Bill Clinton are simply not participating in public debates, while Barack Obama only just weighed in. Why are they so quiet? And what about the 23 Democratic governors who are also largely remaining silent? The Republicans seemingly have free rein to do as they please.

In his 2024 book

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