This year, countries that include more than half of humanity are holding elections. This high rate of democratic activity, however, started against a grim backdrop. The watchdog group Freedom House noted in a February report the global erosion of individual rights and liberties, driven by attacks on “the peaceful coexistence of people with different political ideas, religions, or ethnic identities.”
At midyear, the voting so far indicates an optimistic pattern. Three of the most consequential ballots – in Turkey, South Africa, and India – have shown that societies are not powerless against ruling parties that overstay their welcome. Democracies can be self-correcting and renew their resilience.
In each of the three countries, an entrenched party sought to extend and expand its power, often using political intimidation and claims of entitlement rooted in the past. To the surprise of party leaders, voters didn’t buy it. They embraced equality over division and shared government over single-party control. And notably, women and youth were key agents of change.
In India, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its charismatic leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have stifled dissent and stirred violent religious nationalism. The party had expected to win absolute control of Parliament as voting ended last week. Instead, after a decade in power, the BJP lost its majority after voters rejected the trend toward authoritarianism.
Their verdict marks an opportunity “to repair our social fabric torn by hate ... to build a new consensus on social justice,” wrote Yamini Aiyar, president of the New Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research, in the Hindustan Times.
Similar events unfolded in South Africa in a May 29 election. Weary of corruption, stubbornly high unemployment, and constant power outages, voters denied the African National Congress an outright majority for the first time since the country embraced democracy 30 years ago.
In March, voters in Turkey swept opposition candidates into local government across the country less than a year after tepidly giving the country’s autocratic president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a third term. More than 2,000 women were elected to local offices, nearly doubling their representation since 2019. Voters embraced younger candidates, too.
The elections in these pivotal countries underscore how voters want to retain the ability to choose the ideals and values in their government. Voters rejected divisive ideologies and measures that undermined their countries’ constitutions. They expressed common concerns over jobs, education, and health care.
One telling loss for the BJP in India was in the city of Ayodhya, a flash point of sectarian violence driven by a rise in Hindu nationalism. In February, Mr. Modi had inaugurated a new Hindu temple on the site of a mosque destroyed during mob violence in 1992. Yet voters in the city united around shared economic aspirations – and voted out the party.
In all three countries, the elections showed a drop in public trust of government, perhaps caused by leaders who have sowed political divisions. To restore trust, writes Ismaeel Tharwat, a visiting business professor at American University in Beirut, leaders must “bring people who are different together and bond them.”
“This leadership should be reflected in a set of institutions with a vision of perfection and a mandate to strive towards it. It will require leaders, who are willing to take risks, to be the first to extend their hand and act with integrity,” he wrote for the World Economic Forum in January.
In three of the world’s most important democracies, voters held fast to making sure their vote matters and to choosing leaders they can trust. Integrity in government rests on the integrity of citizens.
Mark Sappenfield
