--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Democracies stand on several key pillars…" description: "\"Democracies stand on several key pillars: Free and fair elections, human rights, the rule of law, and a free untrammeled media. Until 2016, an open med..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c04/toomas-hendrik-ilves-10602_democracy_democracies-stand-on-several-key-pillars_1941593.jpg" --- # Democracies stand on several key pillars: Free and fair… ![“Democracies stand on several key pillars: Free and fair elections, human rights, the rule of law, and a free untrammeled media. Until 2016, an open media was seen as a resilient democratic pillar that supported the others.” quote by Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c04/toomas-hendrik-ilves-10602_democracy_democracies-stand-on-several-key-pillars_1941593.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c04/toomas-hendrik-ilves-10602_democracy_democracies-stand-on-several-key-pillars_1941593.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c04/toomas-hendrik-ilves-10602_democracy_democracies-stand-on-several-key-pillars_1941593.jpg) > “Democracies stand on several key pillars: Free and fair elections, human rights, the rule of law, and a free untrammeled media. Until 2016, an open media was seen as a resilient democratic pillar that supported the others.” [Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Democracies rely on elections, rights, law, and media; media once reinforced these pillars. **In simple terms:** Democracy needs fair elections, rights, law, and free media. Key Takeaway Protect media freedom to sustain democracy. Themes democracy media rights law elections Mood concerned optimistic Type political analytical When to use this quote - election monitoring - human rights advocacy - legal reform - media watchdog activities Key Concepts civic stability institutional resilience public discourse Questions to Reflect On - How can societies guard media independence? - What happens when media loses its freedom? A Different Perspective Media can be co-opted or censored, weakening its pillar role. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democracies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracies/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Human rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-rights/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/) [Rule of law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rule-of-law/) ## Related quotes > [We don't run away from our shortcomings. We acknowledge those. But we know that we are stronger as a nation if we stand with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thomas-greenfield/we-don-t-run-away-from-our-shortcomings-we-acknowledge-those-but-we/) [Linda Thomas-Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thomas-greenfield/) > [“There are four key pillars holding you up that you can re-ground yourself to. Your responsibility. Your power. Your Compassion. And your sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-mildon/there-are-four-key-pillars-holding-you-up-that-you-can-re-ground/) [Emma Mildon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-mildon/) > [After taking office, I vowed that the Moore-Miller administration would focus on four key pillars of progress in our first legislative session: elevating service,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-moore/after-taking-office-i-vowed-that-the-moore-miller-administration/) [Wes Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-moore/) > [I want people to understand that, look, we're in a period of democratic deficit, democratic recession. There are fewer democracies in the world today…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-frum/i-want-people-to-understand-that-look-we-re-in-a-period-of-democratic/) [David Frum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-frum/) > [The American political scientist Francis Fukuyama has argued that liberal democracies, with their political freedom and economic success, have three important pillars: a strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghuram-rajan/the-american-political-scientist-francis-fukuyama-has-argued-that/) [Raghuram Rajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghuram-rajan/) > [Liberal democracies do not and often cannot respond in kind to cyberattacks on their own way of governance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/liberal-democracies-do-not-and-often-cannot-respond-in-kind-to/) [Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/) > [When Estonia reestablished its sovereignty after a half century of successive thuggish, totalitarian, foreign occupations by the Soviets, the Nazis, and then again the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/when-estonia-reestablished-its-sovereignty-after-a-half-century-of/) [Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/) > [It is a law of governance that democracies have to spend themselves dizzy. Citizens of democracies can, after all, tell their government to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/it-is-a-law-of-governance-that-democracies-have-to-spend-themselves/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Developing and newer democracies are much more susceptible to the tactics of populists and demagogues - they often do not have strong institutions, free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/developing-and-newer-democracies-are-much-more-susceptible-to-the/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Our Declaration of Independence declares that democracies derive their power from the 'consent of the governed.' But this democracy will fail if only some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/our-declaration-of-independence-declares-that-democracies-derive/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [All democracies turn into dictatorships - but not by coup. The people give their democracy to a dictator, whether it's Julius Caesar or Napoleon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/all-democracies-turn-into-dictatorships-but-not-by-coup-the-people/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) > [There is one safeguard known generally to the wise, which is an advantage and security to all, but especially to democracies as against despots.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/there-is-one-safeguard-known-generally-to-the-wise-which-is-an/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) > [The idea that democracies could be vulnerable to demagogues is not a new notion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kristol/the-idea-that-democracies-could-be-vulnerable-to-demagogues-is-not-a/) [Bill Kristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kristol/) > [In view of China's growing military strength and intentions, the best way to safeguard Asia's permanent peace and prosperity is to have all Asian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-costa/in-view-of-china-s-growing-military-strength-and-intentions-the-best/) [Jim Costa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-costa/) > [“the democracies that arose after the First World War (and the Second) often collapsed when a single party seized power in some combination of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/the-democracies-that-arose-after-the-first-world-war-and-the-second/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) ## More by Toomas Hendrik Ilves > [Digital warfare, in the Clausewitz definition as 'the continuation of policy by other means,' reached Western public consciousness via my own country, Estonia, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/digital-warfare-in-the-clausewitz-definition-as-the-continuation-of/) [Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/) > [When Estonia reestablished its sovereignty after a half century of successive thuggish, totalitarian, foreign occupations by the Soviets, the Nazis, and then again the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/when-estonia-reestablished-its-sovereignty-after-a-half-century-of/) [Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/) > [Social media has become a primary factor in political campaigns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/social-media-has-become-a-primary-factor-in-political-campaigns/) [Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/) > [I'm not afraid of code. I mean, I understand how these things work. I thought that that was the one area where Estonia was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/i-m-not-afraid-of-code-i-mean-i-understand-how-these-things-work-i/) [Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/) > [People have actually figured out that Estonia is one of the few post-Communist countries that has a genuine image in people's minds as being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/people-have-actually-figured-out-that-estonia-is-one-of-the-few-post/) [Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/) > [The domestic policy of any president, U.S. or otherwise, is his or her own concern, as long as democratic norms are followed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/the-domestic-policy-of-any-president-u-s-or-otherwise-is-his-or-her/) [Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/) > [As for the European far left, it has very little to do with Marxism-Leninism these days. It has more to do with anti-Semitism, racism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/as-for-the-european-far-left-it-has-very-little-to-do-with-marxism/) [Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/) > [Liberal democracies do not and often cannot respond in kind to cyberattacks on their own way of governance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/liberal-democracies-do-not-and-often-cannot-respond-in-kind-to/) [Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/) > [Big data knows and can deduce more about you than Big Brother ever could.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/big-data-knows-and-can-deduce-more-about-you-than-big-brother-ever/) [Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/) > [Russia has had very aggressive military exercises. They've practiced mock nuclear attacks on Warsaw. Russian bombers practiced attacking strategic military targets in Sweden. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/russia-has-had-very-aggressive-military-exercises-they-ve-practiced/) [Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/) > [I realised that if we were not in the E.U., there were people in the E.U. who were also members of NATO that would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/i-realised-that-if-we-were-not-in-the-e-u-there-were-people-in-the-e/) [Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/) > [The minute a collective alliance fails to live up to its agreement to collective defence, then from that moment on, everybody is on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/the-minute-a-collective-alliance-fails-to-live-up-to-its-agreement-to/) [Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/) > [I remember starting to read about the Soviet Union when I was eight years old; I think I was reading my father's 'New York…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/i-remember-starting-to-read-about-the-soviet-union-when-i-was-eight/) [Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/) > [Fake news is cheap to produce. Genuine journalism is expensive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/fake-news-is-cheap-to-produce-genuine-journalism-is-expensive/) [Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/) > [The Russian Federation's practice of instant citizenship, whereby Russian passports are distributed willy-nilly to ethnic Russians abroad so they can be 'protected' in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/the-russian-federation-s-practice-of-instant-citizenship-whereby/) [Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/) [Explore all 64 Toomas Hendrik Ilves quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/) ## More Democracies quotes > [“the democracies that arose after the First World War (and the Second) often collapsed when a single party seized power in some combination of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/the-democracies-that-arose-after-the-first-world-war-and-the-second/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [In view of China's growing military strength and intentions, the best way to safeguard Asia's permanent peace and prosperity is to have all Asian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-costa/in-view-of-china-s-growing-military-strength-and-intentions-the-best/) [Jim Costa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-costa/) > [The idea that democracies could be vulnerable to demagogues is not a new notion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kristol/the-idea-that-democracies-could-be-vulnerable-to-demagogues-is-not-a/) [Bill Kristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kristol/) > [There is one safeguard known generally to the wise, which is an advantage and security to all, but especially to democracies as against despots.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/there-is-one-safeguard-known-generally-to-the-wise-which-is-an/) [Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/) > [All democracies turn into dictatorships - but not by coup. The people give their democracy to a dictator, whether it's Julius Caesar or Napoleon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/all-democracies-turn-into-dictatorships-but-not-by-coup-the-people/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) > [Our Declaration of Independence declares that democracies derive their power from the 'consent of the governed.' But this democracy will fail if only some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/our-declaration-of-independence-declares-that-democracies-derive/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [Developing and newer democracies are much more susceptible to the tactics of populists and demagogues - they often do not have strong institutions, free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/developing-and-newer-democracies-are-much-more-susceptible-to-the/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [It is a law of governance that democracies have to spend themselves dizzy. Citizens of democracies can, after all, tell their government to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/it-is-a-law-of-governance-that-democracies-have-to-spend-themselves/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Israel is one of the greatest and most modern democracies on the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matteo-salvini/israel-is-one-of-the-greatest-and-most-modern-democracies-on-the/) [Matteo Salvini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matteo-salvini/) > [What other, newer democracies find relatively easy - conducting an election, the counting of votes, the peaceful transition of power - seems to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barkha-dutt/what-other-newer-democracies-find-relatively-easy-conducting-an/) [Barkha Dutt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barkha-dutt/) > [Democracies don't go to war against each other, and by and large they don't sponsor terrorism. They're more likely to respect the environment and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/democracies-don-t-go-to-war-against-each-other-and-by-and-large-they/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [I think we need to be a superpower of human rights, of support for true grassroots democracy, not corporatist economic development, which suits our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/i-think-we-need-to-be-a-superpower-of-human-rights-of-support-for/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [The all but unanimous judgment seems to be that we, the democracies, are just as responsible for the rise of the dictators as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/the-all-but-unanimous-judgment-seems-to-be-that-we-the-democracies/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [“Whatever modern democracies may tell themselves about their commitment to free speech and to diversity of opinion, the values of a given society will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/whatever-modern-democracies-may-tell-themselves-about-their/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [“Western democracies did not create the virtue of citizenship; on the contrary, they grew from it. Nothing is more evident in The Federalist than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/western-democracies-did-not-create-the-virtue-of-citizenship-on-the/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) [Browse all 231 Democracies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracies/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Democracies stand on several key pillars: Free and fair elections, human rights, the rule of law, and a free untrammeled media. Until 2016, an open media was seen as a resilient democratic pillar that supported the others.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Toomas Hendrik Ilves" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/democracies-stand-on-several-key-pillars-free-and-fair-elections/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Democracies" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/democracies-stand-on-several-key-pillars-free-and-fair-elections/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c04/toomas-hendrik-ilves-10602_democracy_democracies-stand-on-several-key-pillars_1941593.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c04/toomas-hendrik-ilves-10602_democracy_democracies-stand-on-several-key-pillars_1941593.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c04/toomas-hendrik-ilves-10602_democracy_democracies-stand-on-several-key-pillars_1941593.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Democracies stand on several key pillars: Free and fair elections, human rights, the rule of law, and a free…” — Toomas Hendrik Ilves", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Toomas Hendrik Ilves", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Democracies stand on several key pillars:...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/democracies-stand-on-several-key-pillars-free-and-fair-elections/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/democracies-stand-on-several-key-pillars-free-and-fair-elections/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```