Our societies are undergoing a systemic crisis in which climate change, growing inequalities, and the erosion of liberal democracy are intertwined in an unprecedented way. This institutional decline is exacerbated by the rise of far-right movements, the rollback of women's and LGBTQIA+ rights, the widespread use of states of emergency, and police violence—phenomena that directly undermine the rule of law.
Between tensions related to international migration, the impact of new technologies on freedoms, and organized resistance to fundamental rights, political systems are facing increasing instability. Around the world, democratic institutions are facing experiencing unprecedented challenges. The erosion of democracy, challenges to fundamental human rights, and institutional crises are interconnected with broader global challenges such as climate change and social inequality. Understanding these dynamics is critical to protecting democratic governance. This project focuses on federal political systems, which experience these dynamics differently than unitary ones. Federalism indeed adds a further layer of complexity: it can act as a protective bulwark or, on the contrary, as an accelerator of this democratic decay.
