Democracy in America? Re-Reading Alexis de Tocqueville

After Vice President J.D. Vance’s speech at the Munich Security Conference and President Trump’s endorsement, key questions arise: How can the supposed erosion of free speech in Europe be seen as a greater threat than Russia’s military aggression? How does the same political camp that pardons Capitol riot perpetrators justify placing the president above the law while intervening in the judiciary? In Old Europe, such actions resemble absolutist rule. How does this align with Tocqueville’s Democracy in America, which explores democracy’s sociological foundations? A re-reading of this classic may help clarify today’s contradictions, which challenge transatlantic relations and reflect a broader crisis of democracy. To explore these pressing issues, the Emile Durkheim Research Unit invites you to a panel discussion with renowned international experts.