Democracy has many enemies, but sometimes the most dangerous ones are brewing within it. In the Catalan case, and contrary to what it might seem, the greatest threats to its regime of freedoms do not come from the centralist or authoritarian impulses exhibited by some political forces at the state level. And they do not come from that sector of the independence movement that sought to separate from Spain and establish a State tailored to its needs with the support of just over 47% of voters. In reality, the real danger for Catalan democracy lies in Catalonia itself: a society that could end up becoming a democracy without democrats.
The figures are eloquent: less than 40% of Catalans are in favor of living in a democratic regime “even if it does not guarantee an adequate standard of living” (the data is from the Center d’Estudis d’Opinió). However, another 40% are willing to sacrifice freedoms in exchange for a higher standard of living. And since well-being is also a matter of expectations, any demagogic promise associated with the horn of plenty could push Catalan democracy towards a regime of restricted freedoms like those that have germinated in some Central European countries.
An exaggeration? It might seem like it, but it is a very real risk for the future. The problem is not that 40% of Catalans willing to sacrifice democratic quality in exchange for greater economic well-being, but rather the percentages that are registered among the younger generations. For example, this rate of apostates from democracy in exchange for a higher standard of living is close to 60% among citizens between 16 and 24 years old. And it remains above 40% among those between 25 and 49 years old. On the other hand, it falls to around 30% among voters over 50 years of age.
And vice versa: only 25% of young people between 16 and 24 years old (and just over 30% among those between 25 and 49 years old) are willing to live in a democracy that does not guarantee a satisfactory standard of living or according to your demands. On the other hand, almost half of those over 50 prefer to safeguard democracy even if it does not meet their expectations of economic well-being.
Even so, partisan sympathies further condition support for the democratic regime: 74% of Vox voters and 50% of those of the Popular Party would sacrifice freedoms in exchange for improving their standard of living.
These figures should not be surprising, since – according to a survey by the Alternativas Foundation – more than 60% of Spaniards between 18 and 45 years old consider that their current situation (and even the future) is or will be worse than that of their parents. . Likewise, according to that same study, the loss of support for democracy among young people is not exclusive to Catalonia. In Spain as a whole, only 15% of citizens between 18 and 35 years old are satisfied with the democratic system (compared to a third among those over 65 years old).
And, attention, one in four Spaniards under 36 years of age also considers that democracy is not always the preferred system (and, in their opinion, in some circumstances an authoritarian regime can be). An opinion that only one in ten citizens over 55 years of age shares. Paradoxically, young Spaniards are much more in favor of territorial decentralization than older people. For example, only 25% of them support greater centralization (compared to 37% among all ages). And more than 40% support even greater decentralization.
In any case, the CEO survey includes other questions that reveal the generational fissure on key issues for democratic coexistence. For example, those in favor of lowering taxes even if social benefits and public services have to be reduced represent more than 30% of Catalans under 25 years of age (compared to less than 20% among those over 50). And in another key issue for the progress of equality, such as the achievements of the feminist movement, the generational fracture once again shows a disturbing drift towards the future. While a third of all Catalans consider that the emancipation of women “has gone too far”, that percentage is already close to 40% among citizens under 25 years of age.
The future will tell, despite the fact that world reality reveals that economic prosperity is much more associated with full democracies than with incomplete ones (also called “democracies”) and much more even than with dictatorships (whether covert or naked). . However, the progress of rights and freedoms is not always linear and is often written in crooked lines. Also in Catalonia.
