How to Fix Democracy
How to Fix Democracy
Bertelsmann Foundation
John Kampfner | Democracy Needs Courage: Lessons from the World's Boldest Reformers
37 minutes Posted Jul 6, 2026 at 1:29 pm.
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Can democracies become more resilient by being bolder? In this episode of How to Fix Democracy, Andrew Keen speaks with journalist, author and foreign affairs commentator John Kampfner about his new book Brave New World. Drawing on research from countries as diverse as Finland, Estonia, Taiwan, Morocco, Canada and Romania, Kampfner argues that democracy's greatest challenge is not a lack of ideas but a lack of political courage. Together, they explore why resilience, imagination, and courageous leadership are essential to tackling today's biggest challenges, from housing and healthcare to digital government, education, and climate policy. Rather than dwelling on democratic decline, this conversation offers practical examples of governments that are daring to think differently, and asks what other democracies can learn from them.