Democracy Cracks #3 - What happens when no one believes in democracy anymore?

What does a society look like when trust in democracy crumbles? In this episode, we explore how distrust reshapes civic life, from people walking away from the ballot box to rising polarisation, conspiracy theories, and the appeal of extreme “solutions”. But we also look at the other side: how frustration can spark new forms of participation, creativity, and democratic renewal. Democracy Cracks is a six-episode podcast mini-series exploring the cracks in our democratic systems, from weakening trust to widening social divides, narrated by TEPSA's Programme Manager Eva Ribera and produced as part of ActEU, a Horizon Europe research project. Host and writing: Eva Ribera Production: Florence Ferrando, Barbara Vanotti Editorial review: Mariam Khotenashvili, Alexandros-Christos Gkotinakos, Ilaria Giustacchini Music: Nicolas Gadrat Sound credits: parliament noises.wav by Eneasz -- -- License: Creative Commons 0 iPhone Text Sound by ukjoncollins -- -- License: Creative Commons 0 Surfer dude - kit - Surprise n Shock kit 1 by Sadiquecat -- -- License: Creative Commons 0 This podcast is funded by the European Union.

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Democracy Cracks #3 - What happens when no one believes in democracy anymore? is an episode from Europe Speaks: A TEPSA Podcast by The Trans European Policy Studies Association.

This episode is 19:48 long.

This episode was published on Feb 6, 2026.

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