Topic: 2025 – Authoritarianism and Democracy
Country: Germany
Delegate Name: Philip John Valeros
Special Political Committee
Authoritarianism and Democracy
Federal Republic of Germany
PJ Valeros
Forest Hills Eastern High School
Since authoritarian regimes are on the rise, this threatens the stability of democracy throughout the world. Authoritarian governments are characterized by power being concentrated in the hands of a single ruler or a small elite, limited freedoms, and no mechanism for an exchange of power, while democracy is characterized by rule in the hands of the people, fair elections, freedoms and liberties for all citizens, respect for the rule of law, and peaceful transfers of power. Many countries have shifted to authoritarianism due to the power grabs of leaders because of corruption in semi-democratic nations, and democracy is losing some of its main values when leaders choose to only help certain demographics and not the people as a whole. According to the UNDP, between 2016 and 2021, the number of countries moving towards authoritarianism was more than double the number moving towards democracy. The UN does not explicitly advocate for a form of government, but promotes individual rights and freedoms, which are vital to democratic governance. In addition, to combat authoritarianism, the UN plans to scale up humanitarian aid in places such as Gaza, where many starve, and Afghanistan, where women’s rights are declining. Recently, there was a major shift toward autocracy, which the UN does not advocate for.
The rise of authoritarianism has become increasingly prevalent in the Federal Republic of Germany due to extreme alternative parties implementing and advocating for limits on human rights. According to the Regimes of the World, the Federal Republic of Germany is currently a liberal democracy, which not only means it is an electoral democracy, but it also means that the executive is constrained and checked by other branches of government. The Federal Republic of Germany has learned its mistakes from having an authoritarian form of government and has since moved forward into a democracy. Specifically, the Federal Republic of Germany is a federal parliamentary republic with power shared between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Tensions have risen with the Alternative for Deutschland party, with which the government claims that they will “turn Germany into an authoritarian state”. The liberal-centrist party in power has also suppressed liberties by making laws that target extremists and people who commit treason with vague interpretations. However, Germany has made moves in the right direction with the Democracy Protection Act, which aims to promote “diversity, tolerance, and democracy” whilst also condemning extremism through state funding to NGOs. Overall, Germany is still very much a democracy where the democratic order is protected, and disinformation is monitored. The Federal Republic of Germany condemns and criticizes coups against democratic governments. Germany, as a part of the EU, defends democratic values, especially in Ukraine, after the annexation by Russia. The EU also encourages the liberalization of authoritarian regimes, such as North Africa and the Arab world.
The Federal Republic of Germany encourages any resolutions that discourage the usage of authoritarian regimes as well as the liberalization of authoritarian regimes into democratic governments by reinforcing democratic norms and reducing government corruption. Germany’s position as a liberal democracy influences its decisions to promote democratic values such as human rights through empowering the citizens, as well as free and fair elections by condemning corruption and protecting votes. In short, Germany encourages countries to move to a transition into democracy with democratic ideals.
