Great support for the Democracy Conference

Although democracy is a relatively stable and strong system, we are currently seeing clearly that it is also fragile. Countries that we have long regarded as democratic role models have, in a short time, shifted course toward autocracy, said Katrine Fangen, acting director of UiO:Democracy and professor at the Department of Sociology and Human Geography. She was one of four researchers from the Faculty of Social Sciences who gave presentations and contributed at the conference.

This is the second time the Democracy Conference has been held, and this year it was a collaboration between UiO:Democracy and Oslo Science City.

Understanding the challenges and sharing knowledge

A major challenge of our time, according to Fangen, is the normalization of extreme ideologies.

“Rhetoric and conspiracy theories that previously existed mainly in fringe environments are now being promoted by elected political leaders, wealthy individuals, and online influencers. The Democracy Conference is important for reflecting on questions such as: How resilient is democracy in 2025? How can we counter the forces that undermine democratic values? How can we strengthen our own institutions in the face of authoritarian threats and extremist movements?”

The purpose of the Democracy Conference is to understand the challenges, share knowledge, and find solutions together, Fangen stated.

Her main message was that when democracy is being undermined, it is the responsibility of researchers, politicians, and public commentators not to remain passive, but to generate and disseminate knowledge that can strengthen democracy.

Fangen emphasized that a Democracy Conference is particularly important in our time.

“We live in an era where the state of democracy is weakening in a wide range of countries. Social media and new forms of communication contribute to the spread of anti-democratic attitudes, and several international conflicts are fueling polarization and insecurity. On a personal note, this is also important to me because I have followed the development and normalization of extreme views as a researcher since the 1990s,” Fangen said.

Heading in the wrong direction

Carl Henrik Knutsen, professor at the Department of Political Science, gave the keynote address at the conference with the title: “Is democracy in retreat?” He delved into the numbers and statistics and had to conclude that overall, the development is heading in the wrong direction—although there are also some bright spots.

“Democracy has been in decline globally over the past ten years. Although most countries — and Norway is one example — are about as democratic as they were ten years ago, there are far more countries that have experienced democratic decline than progress during this period,” said Knutsen.

He explained that the most common processes leading to democratic decline are gradual erosions from within — that is, orchestrated by democratically elected leaders who transform the system to concentrate power and make it less democratic.

“These are typically gradual processes and have occurred more frequently in populous countries than in smaller ones. This trend can be reversed, but that depends, among other things, on what happens in key countries like China, the United States, and Russia,” he said.

According to Knutsen, the best-case scenario for democracy globally would be that Trump fails in his attempts to alter democratic institutions, China’s economy weakens so it no longer appears as an attractive authoritarian model, and Russia loses its war in Ukraine and the regime is weakened.

Professor at the Institute for Political Science Carl Henrik Knutsen greets His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Haakon together with Mathilde Skoie. Photo: Amund Aasbrenn/UiO.

Knutsen emphasized that the Democracy Conference is important because democracy is closely tied to several key normative values such as participation, freedom, and political equality — and attention to democracy (and any threats against it) is crucial to safeguarding it.

“It’s important for securing and promoting these values, as well as other values that democratic governance can indirectly support — such as improved living conditions for broader populations.”

Young men against immigration

Anders Ravik Jupskås, director of the Center for Research on Extremism (C-REX), discussed how the far right is increasingly mobilizing young voters — especially young men.

“Many of the continent’s youth have not only embraced hardline anti-immigration views but also seem more proud than ever to spread them. This raises the question: Why are so many of Europe’s Gen Z and younger Millennials embracing what is almost the antithesis of their parents’ and grandparents’ ideals?” asked Jupskås.

He noted the irony that it was these same parents and grandparents who largely championed leftist policies and spearheaded the sexual revolution of the 1960s.

“I highlighted four key factors: economic insecurity, cultural shifts, social media, and far-right youth parties,” he said.

Jupskås believes the Democracy Conference is important because democracy is under pressure in large parts of the world.

“In liberal democracies, it is particularly the far right that undermines core institutions — whether it's an independent judiciary, free media, or academic freedom. We’ve seen this clearly in Hungary. It’s beginning in Italy. And if anyone struggled to see it before, the man in the White House has made it impossible to ignore. Understanding the drivers behind this development is crucial for sustaining liberal democracy,” he said.

Strengthening inclusive communities

Cathrine Thorleifsson, associate professor at the Department of Social Anthropology and former chair of the government-appointed Extremism Commission, also spoke at the conference.

“I referred to the Commission’s report ‘A Joint Effort Against Extremism’. The report highlights the importance of comprehensive and early prevention and cross-sector collaboration to strengthen democratic preparedness. It is vital to foster inclusive communities and actively involve civil society in the prevention of anti-democratic extremism and authoritarian tendencies. Education in critical thinking, democracy, and human rights is also key. The university has a central societal responsibility here,” she said.

Thorleifsson believes a Democracy Conference is essential in a time when democracy is under pressure in many countries.

“Several societies are experiencing increased political polarization, which can threaten democratic dialogue and cooperation. A Democracy Conference creates a space for dialogue and debate across sectors and viewpoints and can help develop strategies for strengthening democratic values and rights,” said Cathrine Thorleifsson.

The article was originally published by the University of Oslo.