PROPOSAL FOR QUALITATIVE OVERCOMING PROBLEMS IN FRAGILE DEMOCRACIES

Miljan Milisavljević

Abstract

The paper presents a critical analisys of state of democracy today, especially those that we have caled fragile democracies. In the first part of the paper we highlighted the most significant characteristics as well as the resons of their weak institutions. In our view, the most important feature is their politicization. We have also identified the very source of the politicization of the institutions, which is found in political parties. We have shown that they are the most important political actor in fragile democracies, through which political elite have control over entire society. In the teachings of Simone Weil and Robert Goodin, we have shown two diametrically oppsed views on the roll of parties in democratic a society. We have shown that the undemocratic actions of parties in fragile democracies lead to phenomenon of a „captured state“. In the second part of the paper, we made our proposal for qualitatively overcoming the situation in fragile democracies. It would reflect that the citizens should first, on the principles of deliberative democracy, establish an agenda of priority problems that burden societies of fragile democracy, and then make proposals for solving them. In our view, the best way to achieve this would be truly institutionalize deliberative democracy.

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