Diversity and Integration as
challenges for Democracy
Ten hypothesis to be discussed concerning the
question, if Switzerland and Hannah Arendt might be
a source of inspiration for Macedonia
Skopje, 6th of May 2008,
by Andi Gross,
political scientist / MP and soc‘dem. group leader in the Parliamentary
Assembly of the CoE
www.andigross.ch [email protected]
I. Integration is the big duty
for Macedonian Politics and
it’s Democracy
Switzerland was able to integrate and
keep it’s diversity by a far reaching
decentralisation of power - a relatively
high autonomy for every Canton and
Commune - and by it’s participatory
Democracy.
II. Integration is a political
challenge: Citizens need to act
themselves together - they need
to use their freedom !
For Hannah Arendt pluralism is the base
of politics. Freedom the sense of it.
Nobody has freedom; but by acting
together with others you become free and you might feel “public happiness”.
III. Integration through citizen’s
participation:
On all levels representative democracy
should be completed by direct
democratic elements
By acting together in order to influence
their common existence citizens begin to
identify with the whole society - by
participating actively you begin to see
yourself as part of the whole.
IV. In order to be able to act
together with others you have to
trust/ have confidence in others
and yourself
Alone you may become rich - politically
you despair alone. In order to be able to
act, you need the others.
Individualism should not be confused with
egoism or the atomisation of society.
V. Trust, freedom, even politics:
Each a social good which have been
destructed by totalitarism and have to be
reconstructed now
A totalitarian state can not accept
pluralism, trust and freedom.
A democratic society has to reconstruct
them through a big collective effort; by
motivating all to be free and to act and to
participative in the forming of what
belongs to all of us.
VI. Perhaps the most fundamental
value a post-totalitarian society
has to restore is the respect for
each individual human being
You realise this by enabling each citizen to
make every day such experiences - if he
and she feels respect he and she is able
to express respect too - and always we
have to try to make a new beginning!
VII. A substantial democracy is the
condition to a dignified life:
All those affected by a decision have to be directly
or indirectly part of the decision making process.
In order to make this possible you need:
1. A deliberative public sphere,
in which TV and the Press
are more than just a business
2. A really independent judiciary
VIII. The more all citizens feel
respect, trust and the more they
act together, the more they feel to
belong together
An integrated society is able to develop a
common sense of a common belonging !
This might be it’s utopian goal - perhaps
never to be achieved totally, but always
have to be tried to be approached.
IX. The better (direct &
decentralized) democracy is
functioning, the less violent a
society becomes
Violence is the antipode of democracy and
freedom (Violence destroys selfdetermination; democracy enables it)
X. A common collective identity you
build by acting individually for a
common project:
What could be the Macedonian project ?
A collective Identity is more than a
heritage - passively you loose it, by acting
together you build up one ! By acting
together there comes together what
belongs together (All Macedonians of all
parts).