We lived in a unique moment, kind of a Camelot period. And now, we’re back in the age of Mordred, a time where violence and conflict are becoming much more the norm.

“We forgot how much work it takes to make sure democracy continues to function. And now we’re learning about the importance of investing in democracy on an individual basis, because it’s not enough to leave democracy in the hands of somebody else, in the hands of your political leadership. Everybody has to take an active stake if they want to preserve democracy. And it turns out to be a lot harder to organise than one might think. The promising thing is that the next generation appears to be far more aware, and far less complacent, than my generation was. I grew up in a time when everything was easy. Now that’s not how it is. And if the new generations can really engage, then, I think, we can recreate a world of order and meaning without having to go through something horrific like the Second World War to achieve that aim.”

Jovana Trifunović in conversation with Erik Jones, Director of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute, about the fragility of our civilisation, what it takes to preserve democracy, the upcoming US elections, and why Europe must prepare for a scenario in which United States were not a reliable ally.

This text and video is published under the Creative Commons License: CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. The name of the author/rights holder should be mentioned as followed. Author: Jovana Trifunović and Igor Bararon / tippingpoint.net. Cover picture: llustration: Norma Nardi

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