19 Mar 2026: Social acceptability as a response to the individualism that is undermining democracy
The article, published on AGEFI, argues that modern democracies are increasingly weakened by a rise in individualism, which fragments society and erodes trust in institutions. Citizens no longer perceive public decisions as legitimate because they feel excluded from the processes that shape them. Many political or infrastructural projects fail not for technical reasons, but because they lack social acceptability—the collective perception that a decision is fair, transparent, and aligned with shared values. Social acceptability is presented not as a communication exercise but as a co-construction process that requires early involvement of stakeholders, clear articulation of intentions, and mechanisms that allow citizens to understand, question, and influence decisions.
