Plenary Session 1

During the last decades, pessimism has led scholars and practitioners to pose profound questions on liberal democracy as it undergoes a crisis worldwide (hence terms such as “democratic erosion”, “backsliding”, “illiberal democracies”). Still, in recent years, there have also been optimistic developments. Brazil, the largest state in South America – the continent where the IACL WC will be held – has seen a peaceful and democratic removal of a leader who posed a serious threat to Brazilian democracy. Similar developments have taken place in Poland and other states. In Guatemala, after tough institutional resistance, the winner of the presidential election Bernardo Arévalo took power in January 2024. The conditions for “democratic repair” (which emphasizes short- to medium-term constitutional reforms) and “democratic revival” (which highlights long-term remedies to various democratic deficits) are fertile ground for constitutional discussions related to institutional design for fostering sustainable constitutionalism.