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Young Europeans losing faith in democracy, poll finds

Support is lowest in France, Spain and Poland, while 21% back authoritarian rule under certain circumstances

Only half of young people in France and Spain believe that democracy is the best form of government, with support even lower among their Polish counterparts, a study has found.

A majority from Europe’s generation Z – 57% – prefer democracy to any other form of government. Rates of support varied significantly, however, reaching just 48% in Poland and only about 51-52% in Spain and France, with Germany highest at 71%.

More than one in five – 21% – would favour authoritarian rule under certain, unspecified circumstances. This was highest in Italy at 24% and lowest in Germany with 15%. In France, Spain and Poland the figure was 23%.

Nearly one in 10 across the nations said they did not care whether their government was democratic or not, while another 14% did not know or did not answer.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jul/04/young-europeans-losing-faith-in-democracy-poll-finds

The impact of the nihilism and cynicism of the media/industrial complex is clear here. In a way it is a good thing, since it forces the proponents of democracy to make a positive case. However, when we still see lazy nonsense- "Reform will storm the next election"- leading the news agenda, then it should remind us that there are still plenty of headwinds.

Reform will not be able to come close to being the next government and may well even disappear before the next general election even happens. Lib Dems learned the lesson of the Alliance- you have to win seats, not votes. Reform and the Popular People´s front of Judea (Sultana Branch) have yet to show that they understand this. The county elections for Reform may well be like the last European Parliament elections for UKIP- a flash in the pan, but of remarkably little long term significance.

In the meantime, the case for a responsive, inclusive and open democracy still needs to be made and electoral reform is only part of the package.

While like you I want Reform to disappear, and I voted Lib Dem in the Locals partially because they were the best placed candidate to defeat Reform, the idea "Reform will not be able to come close to being the next government" is entirely false I'm afraid.

Will they form the next government? Probably not.
Will they come close to it? Probably not.

Is it possible they are able to? Absolutely.

The threat is real and needs to be defeated. Don't count your chickens. Anyone standing 326+ candidates is able to form the next government if they get enough people to vote for them.

Bloody hell, LD gain from Reform in Durham, Reform pushed into third

Classic LD by-election.

In fairness to them unlike Labour and the Tories they actually held on to most of their support in the all out Durham elections.

Exactly. I did say earlier in the week there’s been a swing away and I expected Reform to lose, although I thought Labour would gain it. Look at the previous result and it was one Reform only just took. Their win was not convincing.

So two reform defences and two losses.

@Taz

you still seem to be keeping factory hours

youve retired have a lie in :-)

Can’t beat a good lie in 😂

My wife gets up at this time as she still works and I like to make her breakfast and a cuppa.

Syrian asylum seeker attacks train passengers with an axe before being overpowered:

https://m.bild.de/news/inland/ein-mann-hat-in-einem-ice-in-bayern-vier-passagiere-leicht-verletzt-686689db4a482933f5247b42

It's a pretty obvious way to try and stir up racial hatred to post about every time someone from the group you want people to hate commits a violent crime. What you are, of course, doing is ignoring the context, all the times when someone from other groups commits a similar crime.

You've had to go to Germany for your case. Here's an axe attack in the UK from 2023, https://www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/news/nottinghamshire/news/news/2024/september/brothers-jailed-for-brutal-axe-attack/ , by Leon Oakden-Gostling and Reece Oakden. Here's David Richards, imprisoned in 2023 for another UK axe attack: https://www.essexlive.news/news/essex-news/death-dreamboys-boss-jailed-attacking-9547066 Thomas Hooson, Leon Headey and Lee Fraser were charged in Scotland for another axe attack: https://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/third-man-appears-in-court-on-alleged-highland-axe-attack-334965/ Rhys Jolley, 2023, Cambridgeshire, axe attack: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-66923638 Let's jump to 2025: Stuart Whittaker was charged with an axe attack in Cheshire: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyv30qy1k6o I could go on. White British people sometimes commit axe attacks too. We don't want anyone to commit axe attacks, but the solution to that is not to try to whip up hysteria against one group like your hero Donald Trump.