Order and freedom: Principles and tasks that cannot be renounced in defence of liberal democracy
On 30 October, the Rafael del Pino Foundation organised the dialogue «Order and Freedom: Principles and unrenounceable tasks in defence of liberal democracy», with the participation of José Mª Aznar and Jorge Bustos, on the occasion of the presentation of José Mª Aznar's latest book of the same title.
José Mª Aznar, holds a degree in law. State Finance Inspector. Practising lawyer. President of the Government (1996-2004). Executive President of the FAES Foundation. President of the Atlantic Institute of Government, IADG. Honorary President of the Partido Popular. Member of the Board of Directors of New News Corporation. Chairman of the Friends of Israel Initiative. Member of the International Advisory Committee of the Atlantic Council of the USA and European Chairman of its Latin America Initiative. Senior Advisor to the Global Board of DLA Piper. Member of Concordia's Leadership Council and chair of the Concordia - The Americas summit. Member of the Board of Trustees of the Elcano Royal Institute.
Jorge Bustos is a journalist and writer. He holds a degree in Classical Philology and Literary Theory from the Complutense University of Madrid, and was awarded the National End of Degree Prize (2005). He is currently deputy director of The World and co-host of “Herrera en COPE”, where he analyses current political and social affairs. Throughout his career, he has been head of opinion in the following newspapers The World and contributor to media such as La Sexta, Telecinco, RNE y TVE. He has been a member of the Fundéu Advisory Board since 2017. He has published several essays and chronicles, and has been recognised with a Silver Antenna and a Bravo Award for his professional career.
Summary:
On 30 October, the Rafael del Pino Foundation hosted a dialogue between José María Aznar and Jorge Bustos on the occasion of the presentation of the book Order and freedom. The conversation reflected on the decisive challenges facing liberal democracies in the current context of global transformation.
Aznar defended the need to vindicate political leadership based on ideas, responsibility and long-term vision, as opposed to politics understood as marketing and subject to the logic of short-termism and polarisation. He called for a democracy based on civic deliberation, institutional respect and the defence of liberal values in the face of the advance of populism.
The former President stressed that we are living through a true change of era, characterised by the end of the international order that emerged after the Second World War, the emergence of new powers and the disruptive impact of the technological revolution - in particular artificial intelligence - which raises unprecedented questions about human creativity, dignity and freedom.
At the international level, he emphasised that the defence of Ukraine is today an indispensable requirement for European security and for the validity of the principle of sovereignty. Similarly, he pointed to the strategic importance of Israel as an essential part of the Western world, whose stability and security are conditional on the defence of democratic values.
Aznar also addressed the demographic challenge, pointing out that the sustainability of our societies requires a profound reflection on birth rates, integration and social cohesion. Immigration, he said, must be legal, orderly and compatible with constitutional principles and shared cultural values.
At the national level, he called for civic responsibility and commitment to the Constitution as a framework for coexistence, underlining the central role of reformism, moderation and the spirit of the Transition. Against the temptation of nostalgia or resignation, he defended the need for a renewed ambition to strengthen freedom, pluralism and democratic institutions.
The conversation concluded with an invitation to look to the future with clarity and confidence: freedom, when exercised with responsibility and purpose, remains the greatest transformative force in our societies.
The Rafael del Pino Foundation is not responsible for the comments, opinions or statements made by the people who participate in its activities and which are expressed as a result of their inalienable right to freedom of expression and under their sole responsibility. The contents included in the summary of this conference are the result of the debates held at the meeting held for this purpose at the Foundation and are the responsibility of their authors.
The Rafael del Pino Foundation is not responsible for any comments, opinions or statements made by third parties. In this respect, the FRP is not obliged to monitor the views expressed by such third parties who participate in its activities and which are expressed as a result of their inalienable right to freedom of expression and under their own responsibility. The contents included in the summary of this conference are the result of the discussions that took place during the conference organised for this purpose at the Foundation and are the sole responsibility of its authors.
