Democratic Crisis: How Do We Get Out of It?

In partnership with the Béziers League for Human Rights, the Association of History and Geography Teachers, Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3 University – Duguesclin Center, and the Occitanie Region, a conference and discussion will be held with the participation of Pierre Rosanvallon, historian and specialist in contemporary political thought.

Pierre Rosanvallon is a historian and sociologist, a recognized expert on contemporary democracy. As a director of studies at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales, he held the chair in “Modern and Contemporary Political History” at the Collège de France. His work focuses in particular on political representation, democratic legitimacy, and the transformation of the state. He is also the founder of the book series and website La Vie des idées, which contribute to the dissemination of social science research.

The democratic crisis: how do we move forward?

He will present an approach to democracy that goes beyond its institutions and electoral procedures. He will emphasize that democracy also relies on essential functions: representing society, facilitating public debate, holding those in power accountable, and selecting political leaders.

His talk will highlight how these functions have been conceived and put into practice over time, in order to better understand contemporary challenges and potential avenues for progress. This conference, which is free and open to all, will offer an opportunity to better understand the dynamics shaping our contemporary democracies and to shed light on the resulting challenges. It will also facilitate a collective discussion informed by Pierre Rosanvallon’s analyses.

This free conference, open to everyone, will provide an opportunity to better understand the dynamics shaping our contemporary democracies and shed light on the issues that arise from them. It will also serve as a platform for collective reflection informed by the analyses of Pierre Rosanvallon.

Conference Program

Thursday, February 5, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., in the auditorium of the Du Guesclin University Center at Paul-Valéry University in Montpellier.

• 5:45 p.m.: Welcome
• 6:00 p.m.: Lecture by Pierre Rosanvallon
• 7:00 p.m.: Discussion and Q&A with the audience