Constitutional Democracy and Political Enmity: Juan Linz and Militant Democracy

Abstract

This article explores the meanings of the current crisis of democracy, questioning its relevance and scope. It argues that the divide between democracy and authoritarianism lacks the clarity it enjoyed during the pivotal moment of the third wave of democratization, making this questioning pertinent. In this sense, the hypothesis of a cross between the notion of “rebalancing” theorized by Juan Linz and the theoretical-conceptual tradition of “Militant democracy”, reconsidered in recent years, is investigated with the aim of responding to the need for a strengthening of the defense of democracy in and for the years we are going through. The article, in short, advances the hypothesis that it is not possible to recreate the meanings of democracy without tracing its relationship with statehood and with the crucial notion of political enmity.