Ignazio Cassis about the crisis of democracy

Ignazio Cassis sees democracy in danger and Switzerland in a fairytale world of watching. The most media-critical Federal Council has spoken to the Swiss media elite in Lucerne.

« Democracies in the West show certain symptoms of fatigue, » said FDP Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis on Thursday on the occasion of the Swiss Media Forum in Lucerne. « We call these symptoms populism. » And this is « no longer just an economic problem, but a structural change ».

Cassis attributed this to “the gap between the elite and the people”, which opened in the course of globalization. This has led to wounds that would now come to the surface. « If votes in democratic countries become votes against democracy instead of for one or the other interpretation of democracy, then we have a structural problem. »

Already in his introductory presentation, Cassis made his concern for democracy. The year 2024 should have entered history as a year of democracy: « Over 4 billion people in 73 countries were called for election. » But not a single ruling party could gain: « The elections became vote on the system itself in many places. » Cassis stated: « Only 6.6 percent of people still live in a fully functioning democracy today. »

We lived at a time, « in security fragile, democracy and freedom is no longer a matter of course, » said the Foreign Minister. And with a view to Switzerland: « I often have the impression that we still live in the viewer’s fairytale world – as if we could just watch, be amazed, and then go on the agenda. » But the idea that the end of the world meets us at ten years late « should not become a pillow pill. If institutions were weakened and facts relativized, « our model also faltered ».

The Federal Council, who said before 2023, he did not read newspapers, did not miss the opportunity in Lucerne to take the media elite gathered at the Swiss Media Forum and to place one or the other swipe. « In a climate in which polarization generates clicks and social media create echo chambers, compromises are quickly considered to be character weakness. »

Plea for reserved governments

Democratic processes would be perceived as a boring footnote in the stream of outrage, Cassis said. And with a view of the publisher, editor -in -chief and media managers, he stated: « The temptation is great to maintain it than to explain. » He appealed to the responsibility of those who had « the power of the word ».

In the subsequent question and answer session, the Federal Council, which only ended a month-long interview moratorium at the beginning of this year, advocated a reserved role of the government in public debate. You have to bring a little relevance, a bit of facts and a bit of sobriety « into these spectacular, outrageous, circus -oriented discussions.

The people need « peace in the government, a government that is readable, » continued Cassis. The Federal Council needs « no front attention ». And when asked by the audience, which PR consultant wrote his speech, Cassis said: « Unfortunately, I was never a journalist, I wrote the speech myself. »