The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, said today that the shocking events in Washington must be a wake-up call for all supporters of democracy around the world, a reminder that the world must fight harder against misinformation and inequality and renew global cooperation to promote the rule of law and democratic values.
Borrell wrote in a blog published today that he was shocked, like all supporters of democracy and friends of the US around the world, by the scenes seen in Washington where a crowd attacked Capitol Hill to prevent a vote to confirm Joe Biden as the country's president.
He added that the stunning events of Wednesday show how damaged and divided American society is after four years of Donald Trump's administration.
However, he also said that it certainly cannot be compared with various other attacks on democracy of a similar type, since the security forces, as well as almost all state bodies and democratic institutions of the USA, fulfilled their duties, as they did in the weeks before that from 3 of November and the presidential elections.
However, he said that the importance of what happened and the potential disaster that would have been caused if the situation had gotten even more out of control cannot be underestimated.
"What was seen on Wednesday is just the tip of the very worrying events that have been unfolding globally in recent years. It must be a wake-up call for advocates of democracy. To fight against misconceptions and attacks on democratic values and to overcome divisions in our societies. No only in the US," Borel wrote.
Everyone must understand that if we accept setback after setback, even if it seems negligible, democracy and its values and institutions may eventually disappear irretrievably, said the head of EU diplomacy.
He pointed out that the reason for the worrying success of the opponents of democracy around the world is also related to the significant growth of inequality in societies on both sides of the Atlantic, which must be fought against, which Europe has already begun.
He said that disinformation is a real threat to democracy and that it is necessary to fight against it more effectively in order to guarantee the right of citizens to receive true information.
"The spread of disinformation supported by social networks has strongly reinforced authoritarian and xenophobic tendencies in our societies," Borel said.
It is also necessary, as he wrote, to reshape globalization and rebuild a multilateral system that can face the dysfunctions that have weakened democracies in recent decades.
"Given the strength that nationalist and authoritarian regimes have gained on the world stage, this task will not be easy, but it is important for all those who believe in democracy and its future," Borel said, adding that the project must be at the center future relations of the EU with the incoming administration of Joe Biden.
In the end, he said that he believes in the strength of American institutions and that he is convinced that American democracy will manage to overcome the difficulties it is going through now and that he even hopes to emerge stronger, for the benefit of its citizens and the whole world.
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