It is imperative to understand that when a nation is under the shadow of states of emergency that sometimes resemble more arbitrariness than a mechanism of protection, we are not living in a democracy but in a dictatorship disguised as democracy. The subtle difference is crucial and carries with it the chains that bind us to a democracy in name only, not in substance.

Democracy, I believe, is often a mirage. Through voting, no one can escape tyranny and thrive. Throughout history, regimes have used states of emergency as tools to impose their agendas under the pretext of security, terror, and democracy. The protection of democracy is a priority only because it allows those in power to continue doing what they do.

As long as governments primarily work for their own benefit and their agendas rather than dedicating themselves to solving the people’s everyday problems, so-called democracy is, in reality, an opportunistic tyranny. They use states of emergency as justifications to expand their power and achieve hidden objectives, neglecting the real needs of the people.

Democracy should represent the pinnacle of people’s authority, where political decisions are made by ordinary citizens through fair and transparent electoral processes. However, the presence of states of emergency that allow the government to suspend fundamental rights without proper oversight challenges this notion. When the state can declare a state of emergency without being accountable to the people, it becomes a Leviathan ready to crush the foundations of democracy.

The key to genuine democracy is clear: only when the people, through their votes, can determine the validity of a state of emergency, can we claim that we live in a full democracy. Democracy requires that the government be subordinate to the will of the people and cannot invoke states of emergency arbitrarily.

It is important to emphasize that this discussion is not theoretical; it is a matter of life and death for democracy. When citizens are deprived of the ability to approve or reject states of emergency, they are at the mercy of a government that can use this power to undermine the foundations of democracy and consolidate its rule.

Therefore, we need to demand robust democratic institutions that ensure that states of emergency are an exception, not the rule, and that their application is subject to public and legislative review and oversight. Only when the people, through their votes and active participation, have the power to influence and control the declaration and implementation of states of emergency, can we claim that we live in a true and full democracy.

The slide from democracy to dictatorship through questionable states of emergency is a threat that cannot be ignored. True democracy is only achieved when citizens have the ultimate right to decide on the state of emergency, ensuring that our essential rights and freedoms are protected. This is an ongoing battle for the preservation of democracy, and it is the duty of all to ensure that the balance between security and freedom is maintained for the benefit of a truly democratic society.