Defending Democracy: The Quiet Power of Bureaucrats in Turbulent

If democracy is under threat, what role can—and should—public servants play in protecting it?

This question took on sharp urgency at the Innovators Forum in Berlin, where public innovators gathered to share stories of working under rising populism, administrative censorship, and democratic backsliding. From France to Hungary, Chile to Canada, participants painted a complex, sobering picture.

Yet they also surfaced a quieter story—of resistance, responsibility, and hope. A story about what it means to stay, to serve, and to stand up for democratic values, even when the ground shifts beneath you.

Populism Isn’t Hypothetical—It’s Here

For some, the threats are already visceral: words like accessibility banned from official communications, agencies defunded for serving marginalized communities, political interference silencing civil servants.

“There’s a growing anxiety,” one participant shared. “Many of us are asking: can I keep doing my job under these conditions?”

Others noted the subtler disruptions: the slow erosion of trust, the rewriting of rules, the normalization of anti-diversity rhetoric. In some countries, even naming ethnicity is now off-limits. Cultural programs have been stripped of meaning. Radical transparency efforts—once lauded—are being reversed for fear of political blowback.

Neutrality Isn’t Enough

In this context, the old idea that the civil service should remain strictly neutral is being questioned. Some asked: Should we be more explicit about our values? Should we defend a vision of the public good?

And if neutrality means silence in the face of injustice, is it really neutral at all?

At the same time, participants were wary of politicizing the bureaucracy. The danger isn’t just in action—it’s in being misunderstood, or worse, weaponized. One group captured this tension through a new narrative frame: “We’re here for you anyway.”

It’s a simple phrase that says a lot. It signals care without partisanship. It invites trust without positioning civil servants as heroes. And it reinforces the idea that the state is relational—not abstract.

Giving Bureaucracy a Voice

A standout example came from France, where a group of public servants launched a movement called “Service to Be You”—giving the public service its own voice, separate from party politics, but still grounded in human values.

It’s a reminder that institutions aren’t just rules and processes—they’re people. People who can show up, speak out, and shape the culture of governance from within.

What Does It Mean to Protect Democratic Soil?

Another session asked how we might preserve the soil of democracy—the conditions that allow it to flourish in the first place. That means identifying the real tipping points. Knowing what lines cannot be crossed. And finding ways to support one another when things get hard.

One paradox shared from Finland illustrates the challenge: while 70% of people trust their institutions, only 23% feel like they have a voice in government. Trust without participation. Stability without connection.

That’s not sustainable.

What’s Next?

The work of defending democracy isn’t always dramatic. It’s often slow, quiet, and unseen. But it’s vital.

The takeaway from Berlin was clear: we need to support public servants not just as implementers of policy, but as stewards of democratic life. That means protecting their ability to speak the truth. Creating space for complexity. And reminding ourselves—and others—that good government isn’t a given. It’s a daily practice.

This concludes our three-part series from the Innovators Forum. If these ideas resonated, we invite you to share them, build on them, and keep the conversation going—in your institutions, your networks, and your communities. Join the conversation with us in the Creative Bureaucracy Community.

As one participant said: