Claude Monnier reminds us of the rules of the democratic game

"Democracy is the best of political systems, on condition, however, that each of its participants plays, in a clean and thorough manner, the part that they have been allocated", considers the Swiss chronicler Claude Monnier, who analyses the way US administration decided to invade Iraq in 2003. "The government should inform itself, reflect, anticipate and above all make decisions in an honest, upright manner, in the general interest of the country. The people, that is to say you and I, should inform itself, ask questions, question the answers if they appear insufficiently backed-up and finally form an independent and well-constructed opinion, not an emotional reaction therefore, and defend it with courage. That makes quite a few conditions. But it should be understood that if these conditions are not fulfilled, democracy mechanically leads to the authoritarianism or dictatorship for which it would like to be an antidote."

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