Trump further undermines democracy, fears cultural scholar Ico Maly
In his new book, Ico Maly describes how societies worldwide are shifting to the political right and how democracy is being undermined in the process. ‘In the Netherlands, the principle of power and counterpower still works, but I think this will be less clean in Trump’s America.‘

Can you write a book that reflects on the rightward political shift in society? With this question, cultural scholar Ico Maly picked up his pen. The result: De Herschepping van de Democratie. And although Maly primarily focuses on political developments in his home region of Flanders, he also observes a broader, global shift to the right.
This applies to the United States, where Donald Trump is being inaugurated today for his second term as president. Ahead of this inauguration, Univers spoke with Maly about his book, the erosion of democratic values, and the role of digital media in this process.
In the introduction to your book, you write that you have been watching the erosion of democracy with dismay for twenty years. How does Trump’s presidency fit into this development?
It is a culmination of that erosion, the cherry on top. For more than two centuries, the US has been a symbol of democracy. But with Trump, we see a president coming to power who barely speaks of democracy, unless it’s about the idea that he knows what the people think. He leads a movement aimed at dismantling power and counterpowers, which I believe is a major tragedy for democracy.
‘Trump also takes a step further in recreating the concept of democracy. For example, he claims that the ‘deep state’ controls everything and that the courts are persecuting him. According to Trump, this justifies the idea of chaining or even dismantling the judiciary. This is a well-known pattern: first, you create a new normal through a certain discourse, then you can adjust the structures accordingly.
‘What we see happening in the US is also occurring in various European countries. Here in the Netherlands, for example, where the PVV tries to frame migration as an urgent crisis. If you accept that frame, you can declare a state of emergency, such as with the emergency asylum legislation.’
You say Trump takes it a step further. Is the erosion of democratic values already more advanced in the US?
‘I think so. Democracy relies on a democratic culture. About 77 million Americans voted for Trump, and many of them have little faith in democracy or believe in extreme ideas, such as conspiracy theories claiming that the Democratic Party runs a pedophile network. This gives Trump the space to push an agenda that undermines the separation of powers in the US.
‘But if you link this to Geert Wilders and his migration policy, you see similar tactics. The emergency asylum legislation is a way to undermine the power of the judiciary and human rights because a state of emergency allows you to suppress other laws.
‘After a while, Geert Wilders’ migration policy was blocked in the Dutch government, which shows that power and counterpower still function here. I think it will be less clean in the US, and that counterpower will have less influence there during this second term of Trump.’
Do the media play a role in these developments?
‘The media should be the fourth power, holding politics accountable and providing us with the right information for a rational debate about society. But due to the commercialization of the media, this has eroded.
‘Various media outlets compete for our attention, and the logic of popularity has become dominant. We primarily see posts that are funny, evoke emotions, or entertain us. As a result, we are no longer well-informed about important societal issues.’
Do you notice that students are less informed as well?
‘I fear so. This is my ninth year at this university, and although there are always good students who read a lot, I notice a growing craving for quick bites. And that appetite undoubtedly has an impact.

‘It sometimes leads to a counterreaction, where some students actively seek in-depth knowledge. But ultimately, we live in a society of quick soundbites. The attention economy of social media affects not only students but all of us.’
Is this solely due to the logic of social media, or is there generally less interest in current events and deeper understanding among students?
‘I think it’s a combination of factors, with our competitive neoliberal society playing a significant role. For example, I notice how many advertisements I see at the university with texts like ‘pimp your CV’ or ‘learn to use LinkedIn effectively.’ These are not about enriching knowledge or becoming a democratic citizen who critically reflects on current events, but about whether something looks good on your CV.
‘There is enormous pressure to study with the job market in mind: to find a job immediately and have a perfect CV. The same competitive pressure applies to teachers and employees. Everyone works hard and under high pressure, and when you come home after a long day, you have two options: read, study, and try to understand how the world works, or collapse on the couch and scroll through cute cat videos for an hour before watching The Masked Singer.
‘The latter is much easier and more appealing, but it doesn’t make us democratic citizens. I think that’s one of the fundamental problems we face today.’
And so this competitive society also affects the erosion of democracy.
‘Yes, we’re in a vicious circle, and I think it will only get worse. Take education budget cuts, for example. These cuts create pressure. We have to do more with fewer people, and we already feel the effects. But you see this in all domains of society.
‘We live in a rat race, and it won’t be broken as long as we don’t understand how complex the structures of society are. If we want to step out of the rat race, we first need to realize that we’re in it.’