I join millions of people across Europe and the world in mourning the death of Jürgen Habermas, one of the most important democratic thinkers of our time.
For decades, Habermas reminded us that democracy is not simply a system of laws, but a living process of dialogue among free and equal citizens. His work on deliberative democracy, the public sphere, and the idea of a European demos reshaped the way we understand democratic legitimacy in modern societies. At a time when technocratic governance and demagogic simplifications threatened democratic life itself, Habermas insisted on something more demanding yet more hopeful: that reason and public dialogue, grounded in mutual respect, are the basis of democratic freedom.
His vision for Europe was equally profound. Habermas believed that the European Union could not survive as a purely technocratic project of markets and laws. It had to become a democratic community of citizens – a Europe where political authority derives both from the will and from the deliberation of its peoples. In this sense, he was not only a philosopher of democracy, but also one of the last great intellectual defenders of a European democracy.
I also remember with gratitude his courageous voice in the darkest days of the euro crisis. It was the moment, in November 2011, when Greece came under enormous pressure, having negotiated the historic reduction of its debt. He supported my proposal to submit the European agreement to a referendum before the Greek people. At that time, it was met with fierce opposition by some European leaders, but Habermas spoke with clarity and principle.
Habermas warned that when crises are handled only by a small circle of powerful leaders and technocrats, democracy itself is put at risk. Decisions taken behind closed doors, without the voice of citizens, weaken the very foundations on which Europe was built. He warned that Europe would be entering what he called a “post-democratic” moment. He argued that the pressure placed on Greece, limiting the country’s ability to decide its own future, was deeply troubling, as technocratic decisions were coming to replace democratic legitimacy.
For Habermas, the Greek crisis was not simply an economic drama, never just about debt or financial markets, but a test of Europe’s democratic soul. A moment of truth for Europe. And it posed a deeper question: would Europe remain a democratic community of citizens, or slide into a system where crucial decisions are taken by technocrats, far from public debate and democratic consent?
He called for a new institutional model for Europe, one that would restore the central role of citizens in democratic decision-making.
His words mattered because they reminded Europe of a simple yet powerful principle: democracy is not a luxury we can suspend in difficult times. On the contrary, it is precisely in moments of crisis that democracy must guide our choices. Without it, Europe risks losing not only its legitimacy, but also its very soul.
Today, as democracies around the world confront new forms of authoritarianism, oligarchic power, injustice and inequality, feeding mistrust towards institutions, Habermas’s legacy is more relevant than ever. The work of his life calls on us to strengthen the public sphere, deepen democratic participation, and ensure that Europe becomes not only a union of states, but a community of citizens.
Jürgen Habermas taught us that democracy lives through dialogue, courage and reason.
His voice will be missed, but his ideas will continue to light the way forward.
George A. Papandreou
General Rapporteur on Democracy, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Club de Madrid Member
