Challenges to democracy in 2024: main trends and prospects

Abstract

The article examines key aspects of the contemporary challenges facing democracy in 2024. In particular, attention is focused on the growth of authoritarian tendencies that influence democratic processes, limit the rights and freedoms of citizens, freedom of speech and criticism, interfere in electoral processes and change legal norms, as well as global crises, technological development, digitalization and virtualization processes, geopolitical tensions and changes in economic conditions, sociocultural transformations, etc. However, democracy continues to be a key principle in many regions of the world, where citizens actively advocate for their rights and participation in decision-making. Attention is focused on the civilizational split, ideological and value confrontation in the modern geopolitical space against the backdrop of the aggravation of the military-political conflict in Ukraine, the Arab-Israeli issue, and the global confrontation between the democratic and authoritarian worlds. The problem of digital freedom in the context of digitalization and digitalization of socio-political processes is highlighted. Developments in information technology influence the way democratic institutions communicate with the public and how citizens perceive political information. Considerable attention is paid to artificial intelligence and its role in modern democratic processes, in particular, elections, which will be held in 2024 in many countries of the world, which can become a significant test for both politicians and society itself. An example is given from the 2024 report of the Davos World Economic Forum on global risks for the next 2 years, where disinformation took first place. The article reflects the prospects for the development of democracy in the near future. The purpose of the article’s findings is to contribute to the understanding of contemporary challenges to democracy and the development of effective strategies to ensure its stability and development.