Egils Levits pointed out that weaker democracies are ruled by majority with little regard for the rule of law, low level of public trust in government institutions and rather inefficient public administration.
‘Trust towards public sector is literally passed on from generation to generation in more mature democracies. The habit of trusting the government transcends generations, whereas the states that have to create democratic system after totalitarian or authoritarian rule need time to build such trust. As citizens, you initially give a credit of trust and then, after some time, you start assessing the efficiency of public administration. And we all know that efficiency and therefore also the civic trust in public institutions of young democracies is often tested in various ways,’ said President Levits.
President of Latvia also focused on the majority rule in modern democracies. He underlined that due to the pace of life people are now much more inclined to make decisions on the spot, without giving a proper consideration to all facts, and this may lead to the rise of populism. ‘Competent public administration is the balancing element in this system. It ensures, among another things, that legislation is constitutional. It is important not to forget that we as citizens represent not only men and women, but also the public administration. We as people of democratic nations have power, voice and certain responsibilities,’ stressed the President.
Egils Levits also emphasised the importance of constitutional decisions for all nations. ‘Latvian nation decided to build its own country in 1918 and we created a democratic republic. In 1990-1991, people showed their will again and we took constitutional decision to restore our independence. Constitutional decisions like these determine how the state is run and how government institutions make their decisions. We should, therefore, be mindful of the historic importance of such decisions,’ President Levits stated.
