Greece’s “No” Is No Victory for Democracy

Greek defiance, expressed in a referendum that rejected terms for a bailout, is a defeat for democracy – signaling Greece's lack of respect for a process. Citizens in other European nations have deep worries about another bailout without reforms that prevent over-spending, waste and corruption. “Despite its defects, the EU has become a laboratory of democratic innovation, in which, for the first time in centuries, an attempt is being made to settle differences not by political war and blackmail but by listening, dialogue, and a synthesis of different points of view, writes philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy, who adds that “democracy, as the Greeks know better than anyone, is a matter of mediation, representation, and orderly delegation of power. It is not ordinarily a matter of referendum.” A democracy requires an informed citizenry, and there are no easy answers for the troubled Greek economy. Lévy emphasizes that the leaders saying “no” to Greece are no less democratic or legitimate than the Greeks. – YaleGlobal