Democracy and truth, same struggle

One cannot live without the other. They are interdependent. If the perception of truth gradually erodes and fades away, the strength of our democracy will eventually follow the same path.

The concepts of democracy and truth are based on a fundamental and essential notion: trust. Between leaders and the led, between governors and the governed. Trust, even if not absolute, must form a bond that allows citizens to believe in their institutions and to think that these institutions, in return, demonstrate a minimum level of transparency.

Democracy is an exchange, and truth is the binding agent, all while acknowledging that the notion of absolute truth remains an idealistic and unattainable concept.
So, what do we know about these two concepts, which also represent two of the 14 dimensions making up the Humanity Index?

Rank (out of 14) of assessment and influence

1. That the assessment of our democracy remains strong, ranking 4th out of 14 surveyed dimensions.
2. That this democracy takes on even greater importance in the influence it exerts on the perception of our humanity (2nd rank out of 14).
3. That the evaluation of truth is faltering, ranking 10th among the 14 surveyed dimensions with a score of 58.9 out of 100.
4. But that its influence on the perception of our humanity is much more significant, ranking 4th.
5. That the influence of democracy and truth on the perception of our humanity is stronger than the evaluation we give to these two dimensions.

Put simply, the notion of truth does not meet the population’s expectations at all. We place great importance on it in expressing our humanity, but we evaluate it poorly.

In the long term, if this trend continues, it could weaken the perception of our democracy and durably affect the bond of trust between the governed and the governing, creating a divide that paves the way for alternative paths or voices.
As things evolve rapidly, now is the time to reflect on this fundamental issue.