Democracy Cracks: A podcast about trust, polarisation and the future of democracy
Trailer - Democracy Cracks
Democracy Cracks is a six-episode podcast mini-series exploring the cracks in our democratic systems, from weakening trust to widening social divides, through storytelling, research, and thoughtful conversations.
Produced as part of ActEU, a Horizon Europe research project looking at trust, participation, and how democracy is changing in Europe, the series brings in science and stories to help answer a central question: is democracy breaking or breaking through?
Episode 1: Political trust: a thing of the past?
What does political trust really mean, and can democracy survive without it? Let’s unpack what trust is, why mistrust is not always bad, and why the “trust is collapsing everywhere” story is more uneven than it looks.
Featuring: Prof. Daniela Braun (Saarland University) and Dr Alexander Hoppe (University of Duisburg-Essen).
Episode 2: Are politicians lying or have we stopped listening?
Many feel politicians don’t listen and that nothing changes. In this episode, we explore the roots of disillusionment: accountability failures, material pressures, and the way loud voices can reshape what feels “normal” in politics.
Featuring: Kelsey Beltz (The Good Lobby), Dr. Heather Grabbe (Bruegel), Ophélie Omnes (OMNES Legal & Positive Lobbying), and Prof. Daniela Braun (Saarland University)
Episode 3: What happens when no one believes in democracy anymore?
What does “life after trust” look like? Follow us as we explore the effects of political mis and distrust, from disengagement and polarisation to conspiracies and digital echo chambers, but also to the ways mistrust can redirect participation and spark renewal.
Featuring: Prof. Daniela Braun (Saarland University), Kelsey Beltz (The Good Lobby), and Dr Alexander Hoppe (University of Duisburg-Essen)
Episode 4: Why vote if nothing ever changes?
Elections still matter, but participation is changing shape. In this episode, we look at who walks away from voting (and why), how participation gaps map into inequality and civic space, and where people go when they still do not abandon politics.
Featuring: Prof. Daniela Braun (Saarland University), Dr. Heather Grabbe (Bruegel), Dr Alexander Hoppe (University of Duisburg-Essen), and Ophélie Omnes (OMNES Legal & Positive Lobbying)
Episode 5: Does democracy need an upgrade?
If democracy feels out of sync with today’s crises, information speed, and geopolitical pressure, what does “updating” look like without breaking the core promises? Let’s examine institutional stress, experimentations, and the tension between responsiveness and stability.
Featuring: Ophélie Omnes (OMNES Legal & Positive Lobbying), Kelsey Beltz (The Good Lobby), and Dr Alexander Hoppe (University of Duisburg-Essen)
Episode 6: Is it too late to save democracy?
A final episode focused on repairs: protecting checks and balances, making accountability visible, investing in civic education and media literacy, and building resilience against inequality, distrust, and manipulation – without pretending democracy will ever be “perfect”.
Featuring: Ophélie Omnes (OMNES Legal & Positive Lobbying), Dr. Heather Grabbe (Bruegel), Prof. Daniela Braun (Saarland University), Kelsey Beltz (The Good Lobby), and Dr Alexander Hoppe (University of Duisburg-Essen).