A director of studies at the School of Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS), Dominique Schnapper's sociological work examines how democracy has evolved. She has just published Les Désillusions de la démocratie ("The Disillusions of Democracy").
Plato, Montesquieu and Tocqueville have already highlighted the potential excesses of democracy. Returning to these authors allows us to consider the moment when the principles on which democracy is founded – the freedom and equality of citizens – risk being turned against it. The aspiration to freedom can become a libertarianism which is hostile or indifferent to common standards. The extreme aspiration to equality can lead to forms of egalitarianism that erase the singularities and distinctions that make up the human condition and social life. Indeed, the distinction between an elected representative and a citizen, between a teacher and a pupil, or between a doctor and a patient, is less well accepted today. The democratic dynamic can have effects contrary to its promises.
We are witnessing the rise of social tensions that are preventing the rational debates that, along with the spirit of compromise, are part of democratic practice. Respect for institutions, which is necessary for democratic practice, is being undermined. The January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump, who were convinced that the presidential election had been rigged, represents a serious example of this breakdown. In France, some people continue to question the legitimacy of Emmanuel Macron's election, because they were forced to vote for him in 2022 to block the far right. Yet in a democracy, it's customary to vote half-heartedly for the person who will manage the business of collective life best or least badly. Enthusiasm for the leader is more commonplace for a tyrant.
A section of the population has a particular hatred for him. None of our presidents have gone without some form of loathing, but this feeling must be kept in check, otherwise democracy cannot function normally. As far as our president is concerned, we tend to forget that he was elected in a manner compliant with the Constitution. We can disagree with and criticize his decision to dissolve the Assemblée, without resorting to hatred. Macron continues to be perceived as arrogant. I don't know if it's true, but this perception has become an important political factor. The aspiration for equality means that democrats tend to reject all forms of superiority. Today, the president provokes rejection in a way that weakens our institutions. In democratic political life, political adversaries must not become enemies. Hatred corrupts democracy.
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