Synopsis

In the face of a social and political transformation marked by deep complexity, the direction taken by digital transformation, an extraordinary concentration of wealth and power in a few hands, a powerful authoritarian dynamic penetrating democracy, and its coexistence with neoliberalism, can democracy renew its mechanisms? How? These questions will be at the centre of the three-day event “Democracy put to the test” organized by Forum Disuguaglianze e Diversità and Palazzo Ducale, that will take place at Palazzo Ducale in Genova from 23 to 25 January 2026. The perspective is not the exhausting one of the “crisis of democracy”, since democracy, by its own nature, is never a given, but is a system that legitimizes and governs conflicts and tensions, and thus it is in a permanent state of change and must continuously adapt its mechanisms to the context and regenerate. The problem today is the delay in this adaptation.

The starting point is provided by a set of assumptions, curated by Fabrizio Barca and Luca Borzani, which will be challenged during the three-day event. There will be presentations on the United States, India, China and Italy, as well as the point of view of young generations on democracy put to the test. The discussion between speakers from different disciplines and fields of action, from all generations and different countries, will help to understand “what to do”.