#10 Democracy from the front: What the future of democracy can learn from birdwatchers - with Jens Jonatan Steen

Today, there are more members in the Danish Ornithological Society than in most political parties. This is not just a curious detail - it's a signal that something is fundamentally wrong with the way we organize our democracy.

In this episode of KOMPAS' summer series Democracy from the front, Sigge Winther Nielsen and Jens Jonatan Steen, Director of the think tank Demokratisk Erhverv, examine the role of political parties in democracy.

What does it really mean that so few people are members of the parties at the same time as there have never been so many parties elected to parliament? And what happens to a democracy where the parties take up everything in the formal system, but so little in people's reality?

When democracy is reduced to a tick every four years

For Jens Jonatan Steen, it is clear that we need to shake up the democratic institutions - and especially the notion that democracy only lives on election day:

"We need to find a way to accept that democracy is something that exists and needs to be lived far more than once every four years when we cast a vote in a general election. It simply does not ensure a legitimate and vibrant and active democracy. "

Democracy is therefore not just about voting, but about conversation and participation in everyday life.

Birdwatchers as a model of democracy?

Today, 98% of Danes are members of a democratic organization. That's where the popular energy is - not in the parties. So what if we started thinking about power based on where people are actually engaged?

Maybe we shouldn't ask how to get more members in the parties, but instead ask: What can the parties learn from the birdwatchers? From the Coop Group? From the housing associations and voluntary communities?

According to Jens Jonatan Steen, the problem is fundamentally about the fact that many citizens do not feel counted:

"Politics - it's not about me."

Professor Michael Bang Petersen points in the same direction. If democracy is to be lived, it requires not just better communication, but real involvement:

"We need to think about new methods of engagement where decision makers get insight into what's actually going on in the community."

This requires politicians to get closer to everyday life - not just as speakers, but as participants. And that more citizens experience that politics is actually about them.

Politicians are burning out and voters are opting out

Political parties are part of a polarized landscape where debate often turns into trench warfare. Instead of creating dialog and nuance, differences are drawn up as battle zones - which means that many voters turn away.

But it's not necessarily because politicians want it that way. According to Jens Jonatan Steen, many people start with a strong desire to make a difference and end up hitting the wall:

"They come in with ideas and energy, ready to change society. But especially in the big parties, many quickly realize how far away they are from real influence - and how little time there is to really get to grips with the issues. It's a massive disappointment."

And it's not just about powerlessness - it's also about dissatisfaction. According to Jens Jonatan, motivation among many MPs is lower than ever before:

"What we see is also a reflection of the surrounding society. But their well-being and motivation is lower than it has been before. "

When both voters and politicians lose faith in the democratic process, according to Jens Jonatan, it is a sign that the democratic culture is in need of renewal.

Listen in and find out why it might be birdwatching associations - and not the party apparatus - that can strengthen democratic culture.