American Democrats are preparing for a possible victory in the midterm elections.
Donald Trump's popularity is declining, dissatisfaction with the cost of living is rising, and his administration's policies are increasingly controversial. But here's where the real problem begins. Just because your opponent is losing the trust of voters doesn't mean you've managed to regain it.
The Democratic Party remains deeply divided between progressives who advocate for radical transformation of the system and moderates who believe in reforming it. The two camps are united more by opposition to Trump than by a shared vision for America's future.
But the problem is much deeper. Democrats have failed to provide convincing answers to the fundamental questions of American society. What economic model can ensure prosperity and maintain the US's superpower status? What should be America's role in the world? What does national identity mean today? And how can trust in democratic institutions be restored?
Trump may be losing popularity, but the problems that made his political rise possible remain. Discontent with elites, economic insecurity, distrust of institutions, and a sense of loss of national identity are not Trump's inventions. He has managed to turn them into an extremely effective political tool.
The Călin Georgescu phenomenon in Romania and the rise of populism in the Republic of Moldova raise, in different contexts, the same fundamental problem. Beyond the personalities of the leaders and the particularities of each society, there are grievances and frustrations that traditional parties have failed to understand or represent convincingly.
You can eliminate a politician from the electoral race, but you can't eliminate the social and political causes that brought them supporters. And ignoring these causes only leaves the space open for other leaders to emerge and exploit them.
But there is an even deeper reality, which not only American politicians, but also those in Moldova and Romania, need to understand. The world has changed radically with the explosive development of social networks and the emergence of artificial intelligence. The way people get information, the way they form their beliefs, and the mechanisms by which trust and political authority are built or destroyed have changed.
Traditional politicians often continue to think and act according to the rules of a world that no longer exists. Meanwhile, society lives in a reality where emotion competes with argument, perception can weigh more than facts, and truth is becoming increasingly difficult to separate from manipulation.
This is one of the great vulnerabilities of modern democracies, including those in the Republic of Moldova and Romania. Parties increasingly confuse slogans such as “Down with corruption!”, “Down with the mafia!” or “Let’s not let the corrupt return to power!” with the existence of their own political project. They build their political identity almost exclusively by relating to their opponent, betting on the indignation and fears of voters, without explaining convincingly enough what they want to build instead of what they promise to destroy.
The political experience of the Republic of Moldova and Romania demonstrates as clearly as possible that being against someone does not automatically mean having a vision for the future.
However, a democracy cannot function indefinitely just by mobilizing fear of the opponent.
Democrats could win the 2026 elections. But if they interpret this result as a confirmation of their own choices, without understanding the profound transformations of society and without reevaluating their mistakes, they risk repeating the experience of 2024.
And this lesson is equally important for our politicians.
We must understand that there is a fundamental difference between winning elections and regaining the trust of society. The former gives you power. Only the latter can ensure your lasting political legitimacy.
