From across the spectrum of opinion, politicians at every level of office and their staff members, pundits, academics, think tank staffers and neighbors who turn their yards into forests of campaign signs all agree on one thing—democracy is in imminent danger.

Yet democracy in the literal sense—government by “the many”—is hardly endangered, not even by most of the blatant and egregious efforts to thwart the will of the people. Bureaucratic managerialism and collusion between government agencies, political parties, and the media attempt to manipulate democratic participation rather than eliminate it. Excluding nationalist parties like the Freedom Party of Austria, Alternative for Germany, and France’s National Rally (formerly the National Front) from power relies on the fact that these parties have not gained absolute
majorities in multi-party systems.

The annulment of Romania’s 2024 presidential election, won by NATO critic Călin Georgescu, is a more serious case. The country’s high court canceled the results based on the claim that there was Russian interference. Yet repeat elections are scheduled and the Trump administration is putting pressure on Romanian authorities to allow Georgescu to continue his campaign. Romania’s current president, Klaus Iohannis, whose term was temporarily extended, has resigned to avoid being impeached by the country’s right-wing politicians. It is possible that the annulment in Romania will become a precedent for regular practice. Former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton threatened that an electoral win of Alternative for Germany could be similarly annulled. “We did it in Romania, and if necessary, we will have to do it in Germany as well,” he said in a January interview. However, what happened in Romania it is more likely to be a one-off reminiscent of Richard Nixon’s forced resignation.