One year ago, KNP warned against the perils of fragmentation. What’s happened since then: • Finland and Sweden applied to join NATO. • …and both started waiting for NATO’s approval.

True, democracies did manage to collaborate a little. But while we might have started to question ourselves, in autocracy land, Xi Jinping has won an unprecedented third term, further weakened trust in Canada’s electoral system, kept unscrupulously stealing democratic IP, and the Kremlin ensured the USA Congress got on the fastest path towards national (if not global) self-destruction yet. Recently, hypersonic missiles have started raining on Ukraine. Now, research is objectively showing democracy has lost its edge even in technology.

Democratic solidarity may have prevented a quick collapse and bought us some time, but let’s not wait until China gets actively involved to maximize the little time left. Orgueil and chauvinism are – literally – deadly diseases. As democracy gets older, it needs to prove its wisdom and swallow a pill infinitely less bitter than how Ukrainians are already feeling.