Swiss vote reveals: Democracy needs common values that apply to all

Comment by Ulrich Kober, director in the Bertelsmann Stiftung's Integration and Education program

More than half of all Swiss voted to ban minarets.

Democracy, it must be remembered, is not just about what the majority wants. After all, the Greek "demos" refers not to the "majority," but to the "people." Democracy is thus not just about majority rule, but about the rule of the people, and that includes minorities. Consequently, the quality of a democratic system is reflected in the extent to which it deftly balances all constituent interests and the degree of consensus that it aspires to. Highly complex societies must of course rely on majority-based decision making as an "ultima ratio" when no solution can be found that meets with general approval. Even then, however, basic rights still apply, protecting vulnerable minorities -- religious minorities in particular.

No one should now start pointing fingers at Switzerland. Germany's politicians have already been heard to say that everyone must now start taking Germans' fears of "Islamization" more seriously. Were such a referendum to be held in Germany, the results could feasibly be very similar to those in Switzerland. To that extent, the situation in Switzerland has shown that democracy is more than just a way of involving as many people as possible; it must also be based on common values that apply to all, regardless of individual background. 

Since 1945 Germany's democracy and its democratic values have stood up well to the right-wind populists who, for purposes of their own, have instrumentalized a fear of foreigners in general and anxiety about militant Islam in particular. This is true on a national level, with the country's Islam Conference sending a clear signal that the religion is accepted in Germany. It also applies on a regional level; German communities have accepted the construction of mosques and conflicts such as the one in Cologne have ultimately been solved in a peaceful manner.  

This, however, does not mean the country has carte blanche for the future. The potential for Islamophobia in Germany is undoubtedly no smaller than in Switzerland. Intelligent approaches are therefore needed for dealing with populists and extremists, approaches that fortunately do exist in Europe (see "Strategies for Combating Right-Wing Extremism in Europe," published by the Bertelsmann Stiftung in 2009). Experience has shown, however, that an effective response is not possible without extensive community-based initiatives and a lively intercultural dialogue that is not shy about addressing people's fears.

Yet the Swiss referendum also shows that such measures are not enough. Just as critically, society must renew democracy's basic values on an ongoing basis, both in terms of how people think and how they act. At its core democracy means ensuring everyone has the same right to freedom -- a strenuous  undertaking. It also means limiting what the presumed majority can do. Ultimately, anyone who violates these limits endangers the very foundations upon which democracy and freedom rest.