mative style and a wide range of different themes , enriched by the experience and expertise of the contributing authors .
As 2024 will be such an important year , with the tenth European elections taking place – a crucial event given the current trends on the European stage – we need to reflect on the history and political evolution of these supranational elections . Because we believe that democracies are a process of popular struggles that have been waged throughout history . Because we believe in the federalist vision of a united Europe that emerged after the horrors of the world wars . Because today ’ s challenges are testing Europe , while it still remains strong despite the many crises that it faces year after year and which affect everyone in Europe .
Participatory democracy reflects the will of the people and is a fragile system . It must , therefore , be safeguarded and protected today , by learning from the past and addressing the challenges of the future . State arenas and large supranational institutions are still facing multiple crises and conflicts that are reminiscent of the past . In 2024 , a new round of European Parliament elections will be held , with projections of low turnout and , once again , a surge in far-right populism . Plurality is undoubtedly one of the foundations of democracy , but we must be wary about crossing red lines between democracy and totalitarian attitudes or even dictatorships . They are not only nostalgic reminders of times past when people lived without freedoms – they also put forward reforms and programmes that pose a threat to the democratic and parliamentary system itself .
When we look back over our more recent past , these representative and participatory agoras promote a political , social and , ultimately , ideological debate that makes us grow as societies with rights . For this reason , these spaces must be protected and defen-
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