Absolute Democracy: Chronicle of a Foretold Reckoning

The title itself alludes to the fact that this form of authoritarianism is gaining ground through democratic means. In Pfeijffer’s own words: ‘Nowadays, the prevailing wisdom is that election winners have a democratic mandate to do whatever they want.’

Pfeijffer’s chronicle draws on his bestseller Alcibiades, published a few years ago, telling the life story of the general who lived around 450 to 404 BC. The life of this legendary military leader echoes the lives of today’s authoritarian populists. The comparison is intentional: the novel, set in antiquity, was at least in part a warning on the ‘silent’emergence of authoritarian politics in our current times.

Pfeijffer’s essays, written with a unique lucidity, analyse the deterioration of values once taken for granted. He shows the ways in which the rule of law and democracy in Europe and elsewhere are being undermined by legitimately elected regimes that pursue their autocratic ambitions ever more brazenly and promote fascist-leaning ideologies with ever less restraint.

These essays, while alarming, are above all a potent warning and a call to end complacency. Pfeijffer delivers his message colourfully and expressively, using a plethora of intriguing examples from antiquity. He does not paint a doomsday scenario; he also offers guidance for a better future.

Thanks to the surprisingly appropriate and narrative references to antiquity, Absolute Democracy reads like a gripping novel. It is highly recommended for anyone looking for clarity and hope.