There’s cold comfort for Israelis worried about the fate of democracy in Zion: they’re not alone. Two weeks ago, Romanians nearly elected a full-blown demagogue who admires Vladimir Putin and had already begun boasting about the political arrests he planned — but he was narrowly defeated. Poles on Sunday were less fortunate: their populist, skeptical of Europe, hostile to gay rights, and a fan of “judicial reform” — was elected president by a margin of less than one percent.
Karol Nawrocki — a former boxer and soccer hooligan accused of ties to organized crime — is slightly more sophisticated than George Simion, the defeated Romanian candidate, but both represent the same virus spreading through wide swaths of the world. It’s the idea that an elected government should have near-absolute power; that the gatekeepers — independent courts, professional bureaucrats, apolitical state institutions, and a critical press — are “enemies of the people” unless they prove their loyalty.
Their version of “democracy” is nothing more than majority tyranny, with no protection for individuals or minorities, and no safeguards against corruption — and that is simply not democracy. The complication is that the global leader of the movement is US President Donald Trump. As a result, the supposed leader of the West is supporting, wherever possible, the enemies of the West.
That’s what happened in Romania (unsuccessfully, as liberal Nicușor Dan narrowly won) and in Poland (where the pro-European forces suffered defeat). To Israel’s undying disgrace, hot on Trump’s heels is the cabal around Benjamin Netanyahu, who also supported the populists in both these countries, despite the stench of antisemitism arising from that quarter.
Democratic ideals changing in Israel, Europe
Indeed, Israelis face a similar danger, because their right-wing is now a central pillar of the global populist right. And there is an element of democracy in this anti-democratic force: masses of people continue to support the right even when its plans to take away freedoms should be obvious. In Israel, as in Romania and Poland and many places, significant parts of the public simply do not accept that democracy means more than a majority coalition elected once every few years.
Many do not share the view that protecting minorities, ensuring individual rights, imposing limits on executive power, and maintaining a strong, professional, and unelected judiciary are essential to defining a democratic society. That makes it easy to convince them that an elected dictatorship is legitimate. It’s a complete failure of civic education — of the teaching of democracy and the merits of liberalism — in nearly every country.
Trump not only admires demagogues and dictators, but he also scorns the transatlantic alliance and the world order the US once led. He’s already withdrawn from the World Health Organization — it wouldn’t be surprising if NATO or the International Monetary Fund were next. America, once the anchor of the free world, is abandoning its historic role.
One might wonder: how can a sane person support this, whether in the US or elsewhere? Why did Poles vote for the candidate backed by the Law and Justice Party, which already ruled the country until 2023 and did everything it could to destroy the free press and judicial independence?
There have been warning signs for years: Viktor Orbán’s takeover of Hungary, Turkey’s suffocation under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Vladimir Putin’s popularity when Russia was still a semi-democracy. In Western Europe, the far-right is also gaining ground — from Germany’s AfD to Le Pen’s gang in France to Britain’s Reform UK party. Meanwhile, in the US, Democrats — despite running against a convicted felon who scorns Western values — lost both chambers of Congress and, for the first time in 20 years, also the popular vote for president. This should alarm anyone who cares about truth, norms, or basic democratic values.
The defenders of liberal democracy seem lost. They identify the darkness and denounce voters drifting rightward, but barely ask whether they themselves bear any responsibility. Defeating the Simions at the ballot box is not enough. We must understand why they’re strong — and fight smarter.
Liberalism is losing support as it becomes linked to progressive dogma—identity politics, cancel culture, and rigid social codes—that alienate many, especially the working class. “Wokeness” has overshadowed core liberal values, sparking backlash stronger than fears of authoritarianism. Corruption and broken promises have deepened mistrust. Globalization enriched elites but left many behind, fueling economic nationalism as a response to lost jobs and growing inequality. Immigration debates further strain trust, as people resist being told their cultural pride is racist.
These issues are central to democracy’s crisis. To save liberalism, it must be decoupled from elite ideology and restored as a force for justice, freedom, and dignity.
Poland may yet recover. The US will somehow survive Trump’s regime. But for Israel, the emergency is real. Elections are approaching, and the damage being caused will soon be irreversible. One more victory for the Right, and a century of Zionist efforts to build a Jewish and democratic state will have been thrown away.
The writer is the former chief editor of the Associated Press in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East; the former chairman of the Foreign Press Association in Jerusalem; and the author of two books about Israel. Follow his newsletter, “Ask Questions Later,” at danperry.substack.com.