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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 39

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 2, 2022 02:00PM
Context: House Hansard - 39 - Mar/2/22
Mr. Peter Fragiskatos (London North Centre, Lib.)
  • Mar/2/22 2:14:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in 2017, I visited Ukraine as part of my work on the foreign affairs committee with colleagues. We spoke with Ukrainian members of Parliament, political leadership and civil society organizations about the challenges facing their democracy and their hopes for the future. One theme was constant, the threat posed to Ukraine by Vladimir Putin and his regime. That worry was echoed in meetings we held in Latvia and Poland as well. The rise of a right-wing populism in the west that treats security co-operation with suspicion only contributed to those fears. Citizens concerned about the future could be heartened, however, by the way that democracies have come together in response to the actions of Russia. Coordination and co-operation have defined the response. Let this be a moment where a new path is created, one where the complacency and self-confidence that years of stability gave rise to in the west are replaced by a recognition that the ideals of democracy can easily be threatened when division reigns. Slava Ukraini.
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