Kevin Vaught’s Post

While the current trend of political rightward lurching in Europe reflects deep-rooted challenges within societies, it also threatens the principles of human rights and solidarity that the European Union purports to uphold. As Europe continues to navigate these turbulent political waters, it is critical for policymakers, civil society, and citizens to engage in proactive dialogues and actions that reaffirm commitment to human rights and democratic values. The evolution of Europe into a human rights-based union depends not only on institutional frameworks but also on the willingness of its populace to embrace diversity, inclusiveness, and collective well- y on a hill.” This image, cherished in American rhetoric, has always been more illusion than reality—now shattered by historical injustices, deepening racial divides, and a foreign policy marred by contradiction. How can a country that elects a leader with contempt for democratic norms and a taste for autocratic allies claim moral leadership on the global stage?   Trump’s second term should compel the liberal establishment to confront its own hypocrisy: a nation that professes democratic ideals yet discards them when they prove inconvenient, both at home and abroad. The rhetoric of freedom now rings hollow against the backdrop of stark inequities, deep-seated racial biases, and a bipartisan disregard for international law. The illusion of American moral superiority no longer withstands global scrutiny; instead, the U.S. must face an uncomfortable truth—it has repeatedly fallen short of its supposed principles, nurturing authoritarian impulses domestically. Source Mondoweiss

“No government is perfect. One of the chief virtues of a democracy, however, is that its defects are always visible and under democratic processes can be pointed out and corrected.” —President Harry Truman announcing what became known as the Truman Doctrine, 1947 Is America perfect? No, but that doesn't mean we stop striving for a “more perfect union.” I believe in America's potential and will continue to work toward the bright future we can achieve together. Wishing you a Happy 4th! https://lnkd.in/e-ZyXxDX

Recent efforts in the EU, like the Conference on the Future of Europe and Democratic Odyssey, are setting the stage for a more inclusive #democracy. Citizens, selected randomly, are being empowered to directly influence policies on issues such as energy efficiency and societal challenges. The next step? A permanent #citizensassembly to create a balanced, #collaborative approach to governance. What's even more symbolic? This new chapter in democracy is kicking off in Athens, the birthplace of *western* democracy . Europe is going back to its roots to refresh and rethink how we can do governance better. https://lnkd.in/e3-CsNJk

The world is facing a polycrisis, and that’s because our global governance institutions privilege state interests determined by political and economic elites. To fight the polycrisis, global governance institutions must be influenced not just by states, but by people, writes CIVICUS’ Mandeep Tiwana in this piece. Specific proposals he highlights are the creation of a World Citizens' Initiative, a UN Parliamentary Assembly, and a UN Civil Society Envoy. These are the demands of the "We The Peoples" campaign for inclusive global governance jointly convened by CIVICUS, Democracy International, and Democracy Without Borders. Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/es5qFkiz Subscribe to our newsletter: https://lnkd.in/ekPGH6bx

Less than a week before the upcoming US Presidential election, our analysis of the contestation of international institutions by the (first) Trump Administration - and other dissatisfied powers - is out with The Review of International Organizations. In this article, Benjamin Daßler, Tim Heinkelmann-Wild and I argue that dissatisfied states’ negative institutional power endowments in international institutions are key to understanding their varying contestation modes: the more limited (extensive) the negative institutional power of dissatisfied states in an institution, the more radical (moderate) modes of institutional contestation they will choose. Our "Negative Institutional Power Theory" explains why the Trump Administration's (and other dissatisfied powers') contestation of international institutions was not uniform but varied substantially. It also has important policy implications for dealing with a potential (second) Trump win: Whether, in the future, international institutions will be increasingly challenged from within and outside, can be influenced by institutional reforms that grant (or deny) states negative institutional power. Many thanks to my fabulous co-authors and to the many great colleagues who have commented on previous vrsions of the paper. You can read the (open access) article here: https://lnkd.in/eNMpmpQ2

https://lnkd.in/dNQp8S2A "Given the Conservatives’ support for national sovereignty and distaste for political utopias, we might imagine that they would be exclusively hostile to these kinds of radical ideas. That was not the case. While there were those who bemoaned these ‘brave new worlders’, others were more sympathetic and put forward bold ideas of the future. Alongside support for European political integration and a revived League of Nations, some even supported the most utopian idea of the era: world government."

The Populist Backlash Against Global Institutions May Be Good for Them “Yes, populism in the West sometimes calls into question or even directly attacks the legitimacy of multilateral bodies. But while populism is a hot topic, it simply isn’t the greatest objective threat to the future of principled, effective and cooperative problem-solving, standard-setting and dialogue-enabling institutions grounded in UN Charter values,” JOLYON FORD writes. “In fact, the greater risk, from an Australian and Pacific perspective, is being passive and naive in multilateral arenas while autocratic powers capture and re-shape the institutions and agendas of the post-1945 order. “If populist attacks help to break this Western sleepwalk and to catalyse much-needed engagement, reform and revitalisation of parts of that order, they might unintentionally offset some of the damage their own rhetoric may do the legitimacy of those bodies.”

One curious contradiction in the West is that it preaches the virtues of democracy in domestic societies. However, it violates the principles of democracy in the global scene.   It would be wiser for the West to acknowledge that the time has come to reshape global institutions to reflect the new configuration of power in the world. This is why I wrote this piece for the FT today.   I am realistic enough to realise that the UK will not step down voluntarily soon. However, if we can develop gradually a political consensus that the time has come to change the permanent members of the UNSC, this will eventually create sufficient political pressure for change. Let’s work on developing this global consensus. https://lnkd.in/gdU4NtPY