September 15: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DEMOCRACY

In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly decided to observe 15 September annually as International Democracy Day. Democracy cannot be taken for granted. Democracy cannot be acquired once and for all. It is not a state, but a dynamic process that is never finished. It only remains alive if we continuously develop it.

The nation-state defines and grants the possibilities of democratic participation, which can take very different forms depending on the political and cultural character. However, the increasingly close international cooperation and networking, which is of eminent importance for the cultural and economic development of all countries, poses new challenges to democracy. The need for binding and respected norms at the international level is continuously increasing in the wake of economic and technological development. How can democratic co-determination also be realized in this new dimension, beyond the borders of the nation- state? There are approaches to this but as yet hardly any satisfactory solutions. It would be interesting to hear how this day is celebrated in the many countries of Europe and who is involved.