Three decades after political philosopher Francis Fukuyama declared the End of History and the “universalisation of western liberal democracy as the final form of human government”, the democratic model is under attack in many parts of the world, not least here in Europe. Populists bent on weakening the rule of law, rolling back human rights protections, subjugating the judiciary and cowing independent journalism are amplified by anything-goes social media algorithms that promote anger and polarisation over rational discourse.

They have now received a mandate from the Trump administration, which effectively declared civilisational war on the EU and its values in its National Security Strategy.

The growing failure, meanwhile, of our market democracies to deliver affordable housing, universal quality education and healthcare, and security of employment – what the economist Joseph Stiglitz calls the “inequality emergency” – is alienating many young and working-class people from democracy, fuelling the rise of illiberalism and authoritarianism.

The combination of grievance-based identity politics and what some call techno-fascism poses a danger to our democratic system of governance. It is tearing at the fabric of our liberal polities, reversing women’s and gay rights, and loosening the employment and welfare protections that are part of Europe’s social contract.

In the past 12 months alone, enemies of liberal democracy have undermined the integrity of elections, harmed the ability of governments to implement evidence-based policy on issues such as climate change and vaccination, and

© The Guardian